


Stories Untold

by SpectralTigerParadox



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Danny Phantom, Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Animal Death, Billy Batson (Mentioned) - Freeform, Billy Batson is Bruce Wayne's Child, Blood and Injury, Dick Grayson is a Talon, Human Experimentation, Major Character Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Random Artwork, Tags May Change, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2020-01-31 09:35:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 38,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18588565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpectralTigerParadox/pseuds/SpectralTigerParadox
Summary: A collection of scrapped stories and chapters; including unused ideas, rough drafts of chapters/stories, and artwork.Story Index -Batman/Danny Phantom crossovers: Chapters 8 and 9Crossovers that never got to the crossover part: Chapters 1-3, and 7Kind of a crossover: Chapter 5Danny Phantom stories: Chapter 10Random art: Chapters 4 and 6Shazam/Batman crossover: Chapter 11Obscure Batman stories: Chapters 12, 13, and 14Abandoned Ideas: Chapter 15





	1. Fantomo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The original version of Fantomo's first chapter.

A few months have passed since the Disasteroid incident. A few months since his parents began treating him differently. Maybe he was too hopeful to believe nothing would change... That they would still love him as much as before. Now a days if anything, _absolutely anything_ , went wrong he would be blamed.

 _"Oh No! I dropped a piece of paper. This is **obviously** the work of a ghost!" _Danny mockingly thought.

His parents blamed him for anything and everything that went wrong. He was blamed if dinner was a little over cooked. He was blamed if an invention exploded or just didn't work. He is blamed because he is a convent scape goat. The only people who ever asked for his side of the story are his friends, sister, and surprisingly Vlad.

Now he didn't even stay at home due to his rocky relationship with his parents. He got into too many arguments with them to even bother going back to their home. He spend a majority of his time hanging out with some of his friends in the Ghost Zone. Vlad was more than happy to let Danny use his ghost portal. Well as long as he spent quality bonding time with the old fruit-loop.

He stayed with Skulker whenever he visited the Ghost Zone. He and Skulker actually became pretty good friends despite all the fighting they used to do. The ghost hunter always loved to teach him new hunting tricks. He was learning a lot of different tricks and powers from all the different ghosts whenever he was there. Danny is pretty grateful the hunter no longer wanted his _pelt_... Just thinking about it made him shiver.

When he wasn't chilling in the Ghost Zone he would crash at Tucker's, Sam's, Jazz's, or Vlad's house. He didn't mind spending time with the crazed fruit-loop... anymore. Within the past few months Vlad seemed more like his father than his _actual_ father. It scares him. Especial because of all of Vlad's past stunts to get him to renounce Jack.

You might be wondering where the young ghost boy is? As of right now he is sitting on the edge of a small island in the Ghost Zone. It was currently his favorite place to hang around when he wasn't with one of his spectral friends. He had been surprised no one in the Ghost Zone had made the island their lair. It was peaceful, quite, beautiful, and the perfect place to sit and think.

The island was small but not too small and had a lush ornamental cherry tree in the middle. The tree was big, likely a millennia old, he also noticed the tree was always in full bloom. Glowing light blue flowers coated the tree adding to its beauty. A strange luminescent, midnight blue, spiral pattern ran through its trunk and branches.

Since the gorgeous island was unclaimed he decided to make it his lair. Some of his ghost friends are helping him hollow out the giant tree so he can turn it into a house. According to Clockwork the tree would remain unaffected since it already dead. At least that meant he could have a real home and enjoy the tree's natural beauty.

 _"Well, I guess I should visit Clockwork soon."_ He thought to himself. A couple of days ago Clockwork told him that he would have a surprise for Danny on his death day. He personal still didn't really enjoy celebrating the day he half died. On the bright side specters from all over the Ghost Zone were visiting him and leaving him gifts.

This morning Skulker gave him a nifty bowie knife that has an amazing flame dragon design on it. He even gave Danny matching kunai and throwing knifes. While Ember gave him a guitar with, guess what, a flaming dragon on it. Ember and Skulker share a lair now... Well it was more like they moved their lairs closer together. He still didn't understand how ghosts court each other. But apparently it involved moving their lairs closer together.

Surprisingly, he got a gift from Walker, he still wasn't a fan of Danny though. It was a key, most likely the equivalent of the skeleton key... Except it would be a ghost key. Maybe a specter key... phantom key... Well who cares what it's called. It's still a key either way.

When he visited Johnny 13 and Kitty he received a dragon themed motorcycle and ring. Dorathea gave him a dragon whelp. Which he now need to figure out how to properly take care of. The Box Ghost and Lunch Lady gave him a dragon themed lunch box. Wulf made him a pair of gloves with some of his old claw sheddings so he could create portals to the Ghost Zone. It is a very nice and thought full gift since now he didn't need to kiss up to Vlad if he wanted to use the portal. They also had a dragon design, as well as the key from Walker.

Frostbite managed to find him some form of Infi-map, except it was dragon themed. Honestly he had no idea why everything he has received is dragon theme. He had a feeling Clockwork has something to do with it. Pandora made him a dragon themed version of her box. It didn't contain evil though. No, it was a magic box that he could literally stuff the entire Ghost Zone in. So it was pretty much a glorified storage container.

Fright Knight gave him a dragon themed katana and short sword. Amorpho didn't get him anything, but he taught Danny how to shape shift instead. Which would definitely come in handy later or if he wanted to pull a funny prank on Tucker. Technus, the master of long winded explanations, decided Danny need the best hacking tools that he could craft. They actually worked really well considering he managed to hack into a government database and not have government officials show up on his door step. Well, his friends or sisters door step.

Part of him briefly wondered if they were attempting to prepare him for war. After all the deadly implements and _dragon_ he received he wouldn't be surprised. Now that he thought about it he still need to ask Dorathea how to raise the whelp or see if she at least had a book that could help him.

He got a cool pair of sunglasses from Poindexter. He didn't know what they did yet other than making him look awesome. He had kind of been expecting a pocket protector or reading glasses. His final gift was from Cujo. For whatever reason Cujo gifted one of his puppies to him. He was more than a little surprised that Cujo had settled down with a nice ghost wolf. Her name is Fajro or at least that is what he calls her. It wasn't like Fajro could tell him her name anyways. Plus she seemed to like it. Tondro, the puppy Danny decided to adopt since neither of the parents would allow him to leave without one, resembled Cujo more than Fajro. His wolfish features, black fur, and red eyes did make him appear wilder. He had no doubt that by the end of the day he would have a dragon themed collar for Tondro.

Enough with the reminiscing he had to visit Clockwork. He leaped up from his "thinking ledge" and quickly checked on his two new pets. Tondro and Kurago, his new dragon whelp, were chasing each other around the majestic tree stirring up fallen flower petals as they played. There is no way he could be lonely in the Ghost Zone now. _"I wonder if they noticed I was lonely."_ Danny thought. _"That's a stupid question. I have **two** ghost pets now. They obviously noticed." _

He hated to admit it even to himself that he had been feeling lonely since he help saved the world. Whenever he was in the mortal realm he had to wear a disguise or else he would get mobbed. _"At least I'm popular now."_ Danny bitterly thought. Which was why he now spent most of his days in the Ghost Zone. His sister and friends never minded him staying with them, but he couldn't help feeling bad whenever reporters showed up at their front door.

After the Disasteriod he and Sam had a more romantic relationship. Unfortunately he rarely saw her, the longer he was away from her the more he felt that spark of love they share vanish. Most of the time he never stuck around in the human world long enough to see her. There were often many interruptions whenever they did manage to spend time together. He roughly shook his head to chase the thoughts of his kind of girlfriend away.

"Tondro, Kurago, I'm going to visit Clockwork." He shouted at his new companions. Kurago swiftly dove up into the tree top, most likely perched on a branch somewhere in the mass of flowers. Tondro rushed toward Danny and preceded to jump on to his new owner's chest. Leaving his owner no choice but to hold him and sigh.

"I'm sorry, Tondro." He stated sadly as he put the excited pup on the ground. "You need to stay here." The puppy's ears drooped as he whined pitifully on the ground. "No, Tondro. You can't come with me." He firmly told the pup. Slow the puppy made his way back to the tree, occasionally sending a sad pouty face toward Danny. The look of shear sadness on the spectral hound's face was _almost_ enough to get him to reconsider.

Danny would bring them with him, but there was a high chance they would ruin some of Clockwork's artifacts. The last thing he need in his life was an angry Clockwork. The mere thought of it made him shudder. _"That poor ghost never stood a chance against Clockwork." He grimly thought._

Of course Danny knew Clockwork would never do anything to hurt him. Clockwork was kind of like his phantom father. He was actually the one who suggested Danny should move to the Ghost Zone. In the human world he was still considered too young to live on his own. His friends and sister had said he could stay with them, but he already causes more than enough problems in their lives.

"Well, Tondro, Kurago, I'll see you later. And no fighting while I'm gone!" With that said he shot off into the Ghost Zone to find Clockwork.


	2. Ghosted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The original version of Ghosted's prologue.

The town laid in ruins, landscape torn to shreds, buildings reduced to nothing more than piles of rubble. Bloody dismembered corpses littered the streets like a scene of a zombie movie. Lampposts, power lines, and cars of all shapes and sizes obscured the roads. The sky glowed an unearthly shade of green that did not belong in the realm of the living. It was a post-apocalyptic land where only one half living being remained.

A figure clothed in a dingy black hoodie, ragged jeans, and worn red and white sneakers dashed through the desolate town at an inhuman speed. Ducking under and jumping over the obstacles in his path with ease. The hood is pulled over his head - long black bangs peaked out from under it - his visible skin is as white as a sheet. The teen is running for his life.

"You can't run forever, Daniel!" a ghostly masculine voice roar in the distance. The shout only encouraged the teen to move faster.

"Maybe not, but I sure as hell can try." Danny thought. His destination: the dimensional portal he has been slaving over in secret for months. Hidden in the pocket of his hoodie is the final piece he needs to get it up and running. An ectoplasm fueled power cell from the ruins of Fenton Works.

Danny veered into a well concealed alley, dropped to the ground, quickly using his hands to pry open a manhole. The sewers sucked, but there are still the best place to hide from Dan. The stench is an ungodly mixture of rotting flesh and bodily fluids. Though that didn't stop him from jumping down - a disgusting liquid sloshing as he broke in to a sprint – following a path of luminescent moss.

As he zigzagged through the tunnels a metal bunker came into view. Its door was solid steel and had a round tempered glass window. He kicked the door open before slamming it shut so loud it could wake the dead. The bunker is sheer white due to the fact the 'GIW' built it sometime after Dan started his rampage. Danny promptly pushed a bunch of buttons on a console embedded in the wall by the door causing the many locks to snap shut and the ghost shield to activate. Now the he could final escape this desolate world he wasn't taking any chances. He wouldn't let Dan stop him.

In a fluid motion he whipped around – approaching a machine that look suspiciously like a ghost portal – removing the glowing green power cell from the confines of his hoodie. Suddenly a loud metallic banging rang throughout the bunker.

"Daniel, you can't escape!" Dan hissed as he beat his fists against the metal door. Danny jumped in surprise and kept a death grip on the power cell to keep from dropping it. He quickly shoved the object into its slot and slammed a hand down on a bright red power button. The machine whirred, the metal doors slid open, and a glowing blue portal sparked to life. The device is programed to self-destruct after he uses it to ensure Dan can't follow him.

"YES!" Danny cried, tears of joy streaming down his face.

"NO!" Dan screeched in rage.

Danny threw a duffel bag of mementos over his shoulder, taking a moment to marvel at his creation. He turned to the blue ghost. Looking at him for one last time. A smile slowly spread across his face as he took in Dan's enraged appearance.

"See you never, Dan!" Danny taunted, jumping into the blue vortex. The last thing he heard was Dan screaming 'Get back here!' before the world shifted to black.


	3. Fantomo - Aliloke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A version of Fantomo that was going to follow the original idea I had for the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My writing process is a tad odd, so the chapter is incomplete in some areas...

A few months have passed since the Disasteroid incident. A few _agonizingly_ long months have passed since Jack and Maddie – Danny rarely referred to them as his parents any more – began treating him differently. Maybe he was too hopeful to believe nothing would change... In reality, deep down inside of himself, he knew nothing would ever be the same after his secret identity was revealed. But Danny held on to the childish hope that his supposed _parents_ would still love him as much as before, even if they discovered he is half ghost. It did not take long at all before that hope was shattered into a million pieces and burnt to ashes. Due to his ghostly nature, Jack and Maddie – hell, even some of the people in town – blame him for any misfortune in their lives.  

 

If absolutely _anything_ went wrong, no matter how silly or utterly ridiculous, the blame would automatically shift onto him. Is dinner a little over cooked? No problem, just blame Danny. Did your invention not work or just explode in your face? Well, the ghost boy must have tampered with it. Danny is sick and tired of being everyone’s personal scape goat. The only people who bother asking for his side of the story are Jazz and, surprisingly, Vlad. 

 

_"Oh No! I dropped a piece of paper. This is **obviously** the work of that wretched ghost boy!" _Danny mockingly thought, reminiscing about all the absurd things his _ex-parents_ have blamed him for. How could he possibly cause a _piece of paper_ to fall when he was all the way across the world?! The Eiffel Tower certainly wasn't going to save itself from that crazy baguette throwing ghost. That day he learned the true power of a stale baguette. Danny absently rubbed his left arm where he got injured by the weaponized French bread. Who would have thought baguettes could be so lethal?  

 

He does not stay at Fenton Works because of his rocky relationship with Jack and Maddie. Too many unforgivable things have been said and done. The arguments that would last for hours on end were pure torture. The constant threat of becoming a living experiment looming around every corner was horrifying. Eventually, the stress and paranoia got so bad he could not bring himself to go back. 

 

Danny sought refuge with the person he once considered his second worst enemy – Dan Phantom is his number one most horrible foe – Vlad. The elder halfa was more than happy to let Danny live with him. And as long as he spent quality time with the old fruit-loop, Danny can use the ghost portal whenever he wants. Plus, he doesn't mind spending time with lonely old man... Anymore. Within the past few months Vlad seemed more like his father than his _biological_ _father_. It scares him. Especially because of all of Vlad's past stunts to get him to renounce Jack. Perhaps, one day Danny would be able to accept the fact Jack was no longer the person he had come to know over the past years. He couldn’t recognize Jack _or_ Maddie anymore, and they were an overall pain in the ass to deal with.

 

Actually, humans in general became significantly harder to deal with after his secret came out. The never ending surprise visits for ghost hunters, fans, and government agents took their toll on him. Sometimes he wonders if all three are trying to kill him. For the most part, the fans are nice. They just get _really_ intense and are exhausting to deal with. Whenever he is in the mortal realm he has to wear a disguise or else he will get mobbed. _"At least I'm popular now."_ Danny thought, bitterly. People used to be so easy to handle but now he can hardly stand being around them. Even his old friends no longer held that special sense of camaraderie.

 

The events during and after the Disasteroid spurred him to pursue a romantic relationship with Sam. Sadly, it did not work out. Danny never found a good balance between his normal life and his hero life, leaving very little time for him to spend with her. More often than not, he never stuck around the mortal plane for extensive amounts of time. As much as he hates to say it, the Ghost Zone is a far safer place for him than Amity Park or any other place on Earth. The once ignored town is swarming with G.I.W. agents and they have a nasty tendency to follow him like the plague. When Danny and Sam _finally_ got the chance to be together something always interrupted them. Mainly by incompetent ghost hunters sent by the G.I.W to ‘rid the world of that ghost menace once and for all.’ Thus, the spark of love they shared vanished during their time apart. He roughly shook his head to chase the thoughts of his kind-of-girlfriend away.

 

And, of course, there is Tucker. He and Danny used to be the best of friends; two losers as thick as thieves, but just like with Sam, he and Tucker were forced to go their separate ways. His best friend had goals and dreams that did not involve being harassed by reporters, fans, and ghost hunters for the rest of his life. Danny took it upon himself to end their friendship so Tucker could be free from all the problems that come with being associated with a hero. Thankfully, Tucker understood why Danny abruptly declared the end of their friendship. Then the only two humans left in his life were, and still are, Vlad and Jazz.    

 

Unfortunately, Jazz is rarely around due to her academic pursuit. Going to college and learning how to be a psychiatrist took up a majority of her time. On top of all her other work and responsibilities, she is researching ghost psychology in hopes of being able to helping them one day. While Danny does miss her greatly, he could not be more proud of his sister. Then there is Vlad. Sure, the elder halfa is around and happy to spend time with Danny, but he isn’t the best company and often ends up too busy with work.

 

The lack of normal interactions with living/not quiet living creatures cut deep into his soul. It drove him _crazy_ … Or, well, it made him pretty depressed. Whether it is ghosts or humans, he is always fighting or trying to escape. Constantly being at war with two species he is technically apart of is just _disheartening_. All Danny wants is to be able to live his life without looking over his shoulder ever second of the day.   

 

After a lot of thought and consideration, Danny took to spending more time befriending the residents of the Ghost Zone instead of fighting them. For a while he was really lonely – now he is just kind of lonely – after all, ghosts are not the most social creatures. Nevertheless, some of his old enemies are now his allies. Skulker, Ember, Walker, Johnny 13, Kitty, Box Ghost, Lunch Lady, Fright Knight, and Technus are Danny’s reformed spectral friends. It was not easy to befriend them, but Danny is happy he did because it made his lonely existence slightly less lonesome.

 

Skulker, despite all the fighting they used to do, is the closest thing to a best friend he has. They definitely are _not_ best friend, but good friends nonetheless. Danny is grateful to have, somehow, become the ghost hunting ghost’s friend and apprentice. He has no idea how the apprenticeship started. One day Skulker suddenly began teaching him how to hunt anything and everything.

 

Somewhere along the way, Danny got roped into take survival lesson and receiving some form of military training. He didn’t know what possessed the hunter to give him the military training as well as everything else, but has to admit a few of the things he has learned might come in handy later. Even if he loathes the lesson focusing on _guns_. The odd lesson and training made him wonder who exactly Skulker was before he died – if he was holding back during all their battles. Based on his skill, Danny would guess Skulker is an ex-soldier, assassin, or mercenary. None of the hunter’s assumed occupation were… comforting. At least the hunter no longer wants his _pelt_... Just thinking about it made a shiver run down his spine. 

 

Unfortunately, Skulker inspired Danny’s other ghastly friends to give him lessons in other things. When he visits his friends they always have a different trick or power to teach him. Needless to say, Danny has learned many things from them, like how to create a lair and summon the possessions he keeps there. He is grateful for the ghostly wisdom they bestow upon him – even if all the lessons are annoying – because there is no way he could have figured out some of those things by himself.

 

Walker, the Ghost Zone’s strictest and most tyrannical warden, is by far the worst of his new friends. They have good days and, of course, bad days. On good days, Walker would teach Danny about the complex – and very, very _complicated_ – laws and rules of the Ghost Zone. On bad days, Danny gets thrown in jail for an hour, essentially a timeout. As for how they became friends, that is an excruciatingly long story for another day.    

 

Danny is drawn out of his thoughts by a sharp bark by his ear. The creature that produced the sound is none other than his new spectral wolf dog: Tondro. An adorable puppy – that has a striking resemblance to his father, Cujo – with wolfish features, pitch black fur, and blood red eyes. Cujo and his ghost wolf wife, Fajro, entrusted him with the energetic ghost puppy. In fact, neither parent would allow him to leave their lair without a black or green bundle of fur, and pure energy. Danny definitely enjoys having a more permanent companion in his life.  

 

He is, currently in his ghost form, sitting on the edge of an island in the Ghost Zone. An impatient Tondro with what could only be described as a frown on his face stood to Danny’s left. The ghastly green of the void stretched out before them, hints of dark purple visible in the distance. The island is small, but not too small, and has a lush ornamental cherry tree in the middle. The tree’s thick trunk took up most of the room on the island. Glowing light blue flowers adorned the millennia old cherry tree, adding to its supernatural beauty. A unique luminescent, midnight blue spiral pattern ran through the tree’s trunk and branches.

 

He had been shocked no one in the Ghost Zone claimed such a magnificent island as their own. It is peaceful, far away from the lairs of more aggressive ghosts, and the most breathe taking place in the entire realm. Since it was uninhabited, Danny wasted no time claiming the island to be his new lair. The gorgeous tree was hollowed out and turned into a roomy living space. Thankfully, the tree remained unharmed since it is technically already dead. Thus making it so he can have a real home and enjoy the tree’s natural beauty.

 

Tondro did not waste any time before he began tugging on Danny’s hazmat suit’s sleeve.

 

Many ghosts suggested he acquire a new costume, some even

 

Speaking of companions, Tondro is only one of his new pets. Hidden amongst the cherry blossoms, just barely peaking his head out of the branches, is a dragon whelp. The young dragon dubbed Kurago was an unexpected gift Danny received from Dorathea, or Dora, for his Deathday. Now that he thinks about it, he still need to ask Dora how to raise the whelp or see if she at least has a book that can help him.

 

 

Most of the whelp’s scales are charcoal grey, with the exception of his belly, the underside of his wings, and part of his chest, which are light grey. Two neon green stumps sat on atop the dragon’s head, almost covered by the black fiery mane that stretched down to the tip of his tail.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I the only person that thinks Skulker is an off-brand Deathstroke?


	4. Fantomo: Cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fantomo's cover...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I use to put the covers at the beginning of stories, but decided it did not look very good... It kind of felt like it took away from the appearance of the story, I guess. Now I am going to put the covers here, so you don't need to go all the way to fanfiction.net to see them.


	5. Crows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mainly half formed ideas for a story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shall once again state, my writing process is weird...

 

Damian's partially written chapter:

For the first time in Damian’s life, he is terrified. Sure he had gotten scared before but it could never compare to how he felt right now. He tried to be strong, to stop the fat tears from streaming down his face, to cease the sobs that escaped his mouth. It was impossible to stop the ferocious shakes that wracked his body that made the very earth seem like it is shaking. But Damian couldn’t gather the strength to anything other than curl up into a ball on the chair of the bat-computer. The presence of any one of his brothers would be a great comfort. He knew he is being weak and childish. Right now there wasn’t anything he could do about that.

 

Damian prayed they were safe, wherever they were.

 

Goliath is the only living creature keeping him sane. Keeping him from hysterically running around like a mad man, murdering every living creature in his path.  

 

Everything happened so fast and he was at a loss of what to do.

_Flash Back_

The morning was as beautiful as Gotham would allow. Sun shone on the ground warming up the earth and not a single cloud was in sight. Damian was alone with Alfred. His brothers were all away handling their own cases. Bruce was investigating a criminal government organization with the Justice League. Normally Damian would have accompanied him but a certain mishap left him benched. It may or may not have involved him stabbing a purse snatcher multiple times.   

* * *

 

Jason's partially written chapter:

Jason is in shock. He just witnessed his two best friend get torn limb from limb by an ungodly beast. There was no way in hell God would have ever created that spawn of Satan. A scaly pitch black monstrosity. The fucking thing was the size of a truck, a long black mane trailed down the back of its wolf like body, sharp deadly teeth lined its mouth. Just thing about it made him shudder.

 

It wasn’t like any creature he has ever seen before.

 

Jason ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his ears, wind blowing in his face. Swiftly hopping from roof to roof, hardly paying attention to his surroundings. Those _thing_ s are crawling all over Gotham. It was a fucking miracle that the damn thing aren’t able to climb or chase after him. He has to get back to the manor so he can warn Alfred and Damian. If Kori was no match for those monsters than there is no way in hell an old man and tiny assassin could fight them off.

 

Jason stared in horror at the remains of what he could only assume is Alfred and Titus. They had been ripped to shreds, just like Kori and Roy.

* * *

 

Danny's sad few sentences:

Danny could hardly believe what happened. The main members of the Justice League are dead. Batman, Green Arrow, Superman, and etc. are all dead. If Danny hadn’t witnessed it happen before his very eyes he would never believe it.

 

He tried with all his might to end the Guys In White’s horrific plan, failing in the end. Why did those idiots think it was a good idea to create those beasts? Those dreadful monsters.   

* * *

 

The story's summary:

Heroes, villains - they all died off a long time ago. In fact, most of humanity has. Now only monsters remain. Some young heroes managed to escape, blend into the apocalyptic wasteland - failed to survive without their mentors. Five boys in particular came together: An ex-circus performer, an ex-street rat, a young ex-business owner, an ex-assassin, and an ex-ghost hunter. They all have their talents. They all have their flaws. But the only way they can stay sane is by sticking together. After all it’s not like there is anyone else to talk to.

 

* * *

 

Alternate Summary (Because I was indecisive about the story's plot):

They are Crows. Suicide soldiers whose only job is to fight until their last breath. The one problem is that they will never get to experience that final breath. They already have one foot in the grave, and that is where it will stay for the rest of eternity because they are immortal. Cursed to wander the wastelands of their once beautiful world has become. Doomed to battle monsters to protect what is left of their home. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I currently do not have any intention of writing this story.


	6. Crows: Artwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the cover for Crows would have looked like.


	7. Fantomo: Ghostly Beginnings - Version 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All ten chapters of the recently deleted story "Fantomo: Ghostly Beginnings". (A Danny Phantom/Batman crossover that never really got to the crossover part...)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate this story.

**Summary**

After saving the world from the Disasteroid, Danny has been having trouble with both his family and friends. As well as all of his adoring fans. Everything begins to spiral down hill even further when a rogue observant begins to plot against Danny after his death day. During his quest to put an end to his new enemy Danny makes an unlikely friend, learns a life changing secret, and makes a decision that will change his life forever.

 

* * *

**Chapter One**

 

A few months have passed since the Disasteroid incident. A few months since Jack and Maddie began treating him differently. Maybe he was too hopeful to believe nothing would change… That they would still love him as much as before. Now a days if anything, _absolutely anything_ , went wrong he is blamed.

 

“ _Oh No! I dropped a piece of paper. This is **obviously** the work of a ghost!_” Danny mockingly thought.

 

They blame him for anything and everything that goes wrong. He was blamed if dinner was a little over or under cooked. He was blamed if an invention explodes or just doesn’t work. He was blamed because he is a convent scapegoat. The only people that ever ask for his side of the story are his sister, friends, and Vlad.

 

Now he doesn’t even stay at Fenton Works due to his rocky relationship with Jack and Maddie. He got in too many arguments with them to even bother going back to their home. A majority of the time he hangs out with his friends in the Ghost Zone. Vlad was more than happy to let Danny use his ghost portal. Well, as long as he occasionally spends quality time with the old fruit-loop.   

 

Skulker is the one ghost he tends to stay with when he was in the Ghost Zone. They actually became pretty good friend, despite all the fighting they used to do. The ghost hunter loves to teach Danny new hunting tricks and techniques. Danny is grateful the hunter no longer wanted his _pelt_ … Just thinking about it made him shiver.

 

He never did find out if his pelt included his cloths or not. Danny prayed his cloths would have been include. It was just weird to think of Skulker having his bare ‘pelt’ sitting above a fireplace. Then again, Skulker probably wouldn’t care since he is not a human ghost.  

 

Light filtered through the blinds of his room at Vlad’s mansion. A big canopy bed, which he is currently laying in, donning midnight blue sheets sat in the middle of the giant room.  Sky blue walls surround the room accompanied by a matching rug on the floor. Other than the nightstand and clock next to his bed the room is bare. Danny did not care enough about his stuff from Fenton Works to go fetch it.

 

Sam or Tucker would have happily let him stay at their house, but all of his fans were getting way too intense. The last thing they need is a mob of Phantom’s fans at their front door. “ _At least I’m popular now._ ” He bitterly thought.

 

He rarely saw Sam or Tucker due to the curse of popularity. After the Disasteroid, he and Sam had a more romantic relationship. Unfortunately, the longer he is away from her the more he felt that spark of love they share vanish. There are often many interruptions whenever they do ever manage to spend time together. They would hang out in the Ghost Zone if it was human friendly. Sadly, the Ghost Zone will never be compatible with humans.

 

Tucker has also been drifting away from him. They used to be great friends, but now it is almost like they do not know each other anymore. Danny missed the days no one knew who he is. If his secret identity was never compromised then maybe he and Tucker would still be good friends or he could have actually dated Sam. It is very unlikely Clockwork would rewind time for him again.

 

Clockwork has taken the role of his ghost guardian. Vlad would have jumped at the chance to be his ghost guardian but he is already Danny’s guardian in the realm of the living. It was strange and scary that fruit-loop managed to become more of a father to him than Jack. The moment Jack wanted a sample of Danny’s blood was the moment he fled to Vlad.

 

At least he did not need to worry about Vlad trying to experiment on him. Sure Vlad had done some pretty messed up stuff in the past, but he was just lonely and need someone to spend time with. Loneliness does crazy things to people. After they started spending more time together Vlad got a lot better. He did not even look in Maddie’s direction anymore. Their behavior toward Danny disgusted Vlad, especially the fact they claimed they still loved Danny, evidence proved otherwise. 

 

Danny had not been very excited for today, his death day. How can anyone be excited for the day they half died? He knew a few of his ghost friends have surprises for him today. Maybe they planned a party or something? Either way he would find out later… If he decides to leave his room today.   

 

A gentle knock vibrated throughout the room. “Daniel, you can’t hide in your room all day.” Vlad firmly stated. With a sigh Danny dragged himself out of bed and quickly glanced at the clock on his nightstand. “There goes spending the day in bed.” Danny grumbled. According to the clock it was already noon. He sauntered over to the door and slow opened it so it would creak.

 

“Is making that obnoxious noise truly necessary?” Vlad asked with a hint of annoyance. The fruit-loop is dressed in his usual attire, a black suit. A black suit is definitely better than a white suit. The Guys in White ruined the color white for Danny.  If he ever saw them again it would still be too soon. “Yes.” Danny immediately replied.

 

Vlad took a good look at the young man in front of him. Danny was wearing a black shirt with a blue circle in the middle and blue jeans.  He had been quite surprised when the boy decided to abandon his signature shirt. The boy slouched in the door way, messy raven hair hanging in his face, his icy blue eyes dull and a deep frown on his face. “Not looking forward to the day, little badger?” Vlad questioned, a look of concern on his face.

 

Danny let out a humorless laugh. “Can anyone really look forward to the day they died?” He retorted. His response made Vlad appeared uncomfortable. Vlad muttered ‘butter biscuits’ under his breath, Danny’s super hearing allowed him to hear it. “ _Great. I’m making Vlad worry about me even more than he already is._ ” Danny thought.

 

Vlad knew ghost have a tendency to become depressed around their death day. He was worried this would happen to Daniel. After all he has experienced it himself when he was young. It was far from being a pleasant experience. 

 

“No. When I was young even I never looked forward to my death day.” Vlad hesitantly answered, thinking of a way to cheer up Danny. He knew Danny wasn’t close to his human friends anymore, the likeliness of them chasing away some of Daniel’s death day depression was slim. Jasmine left for college and was not going to return for quite some time. 

 

Maddie and Jack would only make it worse. Vlad would have to completely die for those two to manage get in the same state as Daniel. Even then he would transform into a full ghost and haunt them to death if they dared to get too close to Daniel. Perhaps some of the ghost Daniel befriended could help.

 

_“That’s it! How could I have forgotten about Daniel’s death day present?”_ Vlad thought. _“The blasted thing was shrieking enough to wake the partially dead.”_   Of course that would have to wait until after lunch, he was determined to make sure Danny ate something today. 

 

_“I always thought Vlad liked being a halfa. Guess his spirit lifted eventually.”_ Danny thought to himself during Vlad’s un-diabolical planning. “Well, little badger, what would you like for lunch?” Vlad asked, hopefulness creeping into his voice. Danny stopped to consider this for a moment. Now that he thought about it he hadn’t been hungry at all recently. When was the last time he ate?

 

“I guess, some fruit or yogurt.” Danny replied after some consideration. Despite not eating for the past few days he did not feel the bite of hunger nibbling at his stomach. “Are you sure you don’t want something more filling?” Vlad said, his look of concern shifting to worry. Vlad knew for a fact Danny had not eaten in a least a week. Was Daniel starting to feed off emotions like other ghosts? 

 

It made sense. When Daniel activated the ghost portal he was hit with a larger amount of ecto-energy than Vlad. He was likely more ghost than Vlad himself. That explains why the boy had hardly grown since they first met and why he did not need to eat as much as a normal human. Daniel did agree to eat something so that was a win.

Lunch went by fairly quickly. Danny managed to eat an apple and some strawberries. His stomach was rebelling against him though. The pain was worth it since Vlad looked so happy he actually ate. Currently he was following Vlad down one of his mansion’s various long hallways that lead to his secret lab. Apparently that is where his death day give from Vlad was because it was too noisy.

 

What on earth could Vlad have gotten him that was loud and according to Vlad annoying? As Danny was lost in thought he failed to notice Vlad stop in front of one of the lab’s hidden entrances. Thus causing him to continue walking straight past Vlad.

 

“Little badger, the door is over here.” Vlad awkwardly pointed out. Vlad’s sudden speech snapped Danny out of his thoughts. Danny then embarrassedly rubbed the back of his neck as he returned to Vlad’s side.  “Sorry. I was lost in thought.” Danny admitted. A small smile tugged at Vlad’s lips. “It’s okay, little badger.” Vlad stated reassuringly.

 

When they began their descent to the underground lab Danny could not help getting excited. He had no idea what Vlad had gotten for him. Which was why it was so exciting. It was almost impossible to keep a secret from Danny and the very fact Vlad managed to do such a thing made him look forward to his gift even more.

 

“Here we are.” Vlad announced. The lab was as clean as the last time Danny had been working there. The spotless charcoal grey floors and light grey walls almost sparkled. The lab walls and floor used to be pure white but after a few run-ins with the Guys in White Vlad decided to change them. He despised the organization almost as much as Danny.

 

Suddenly a blur of pitch black feathers speed past them. “There’s that blasted bird.” Vlad said, annoyance creeping in to his voice. “I remembered you once said ‘it would be cool to have a pet owl’ so I acquired one for you.” Danny was ecstatic. A pet owl. How had he have not guessed that? Then again it had been a long time since he mentioned wanting one to Vlad. He should have remembered Vlad actually listened to him, unlike Jack who brushed over or ignored the things the interested Danny.

 

Soon the frown that had graced Danny’s face all day was replaced with a happy grin. “An owl. You really got me an owl! I’m going to name him… or her Spooky!” Danny excitedly exclaimed. “Is it a boy or a girl?” Danny crept toward the horned owl, which was now perched upon a counter, as to not startle it or scare it away. “Well… I can’t really say for sure. That foolish breeder never said what gender it is.” Vlad admitted. “I did not think you would care and I did not want to ruin the surprise.” Vlad was right, Danny could care less what gender it was.

 

For the sake of not calling it him/her for the rest of its life he concluded Spooky would be known as a girl. It had been one of Danny’s dreams to own an owl and the one Vlad picked was perfect. Spooky had pitch black feathers, a splotch of white on her head, and bright yellow eyes. When Danny got in range of the owl she flew straight at him and landed herself on his right shoulder.

 

“I love her!” Danny whispered. Vlad on the other hand was worried Danny would pass out from excitement. He was pleased that his gift made Daniel so happy, even if he was slightly worried. “Well, little badger, I am sure you will have plenty of time to bond with Spooky after we visit some of your ghost friends.” Vlad reluctantly spoke, as he watched Danny gush over the horned owl.

 

Danny immediately deflated a little, it wasn’t that he did not want to see his friends he just wanted to spend more time with Spooky. But Vlad was right. He would have plenty of time to play with Spooky later. Plus it has been far too long since her last saw some of his partners in ghosting.

 

 “All right.” Danny sadly stated, reluctantly removing Spooky from his shoulder and gentle placing her in a room cage he had not noticed before. “Let’s go.” The portal door dramatically opened as Danny and Vlad walked over. Before stepping through the green swirling vortex both halfas transformed into their alter egos. 

* * *

 

 

**Chapter Two**

 

The Ghost Zone was as ominous as ever, swirling green vortexes along with various types and sizes islands were scattered across the void. Purple windows, doors, the occasional lone wall, and staircase to nowhere littered the gravity defying space. Danny was headed for Skulker's island at the moment, his ghostly tail swishing behind him as he sped through the zone.

 

A signature black and white hazmat suit no longer adorned his muscular spectral figure. Returning to Vlad's mansion constantly covered in battle wounds eventually caused the fruit-loop to snap and demand Danny wear more protective gear. In its place was a well fit, black, T-shirt accompanied by a matching pair of pants similar in appearance to jeans. Both of which were fashioned out of a material known as Kevlar. His feet sported black, steel toed, combat boots with the laces his signature green color. Vlad had managed to talk him into wearing Kevlar socks underneath them. A neon green, finger-less, glove sat on his left hand, while his right hand wore a black one. In spite of Vlad's insistence that Danny's costume be make of Kevlar, the gloves were leather.

 

On top of all that, he wore a black, Kevlar, hooded trench coat with a neon green inner lining. The hood of said coat currently down, revealing his marginally depressed expression and stark white hair. His ghostly skin unusually pale and neon green eyes dim, barely showing any life. The black domino mask he wears to hide his identity was currently stashed in a secret pocket on the inside of his coat. After his secret identity was discovered by the entire world he gained a new appreciation for disguises and masks. Out of all his new apparel none bore the trademark symbol of Danny Phantom that Sam created. Danny had opted to rid himself of it weeks ago after a particularly terrible date with Sam transpired.

 

Unfortunately, he was traveling alone. Vlad had been with him but something important came up causing him to leave Danny to visit his friends alone. Danny had no idea what was so important to make Vlad go back to the realm of the living. The once lonely ghost always loved visiting the supernatural realm of the dead.

 

"Maybe the fruit-loop finally got a date?" Danny said to no one, as he traversed the green skies of the Ghost Zone. Joy flooded his chest at the thought of Vlad finding a nice lady or gentleman to spend the rest of his half-life with. Despite the extreme improbability of that ever transpiring. "Hm. That's about as likely as a non-transparent ghost or a Fenton invention without the name Fenton in the title." he muttered. The mention of the Fentons no longer bothered Danny. If they did not want him in their lives then it was their loss.

 

Excitement clawed at him as he flew to one of his best friend's lairs, but not enough to chase away his death day depression. Skulker was one of the best ghosts to visit first since Danny could also see Ember while he is there. They also lived the closest to Vlad's Wisconsin portal. The two ghosts were dating and possible getting married soon. Now they shared a lair. Well it was more like they moved their lairs closer together. Ghost courtship was one of the most confusing aspects of ghost culture. Danny did know for certain that for whatever reason it entailed ghosts move their lairs closer together.

 

Curiosity mixed with excitement as Danny pondered what the hunter had planned for his death day. _"A hunting trip is a strong possibility."_ Danny concluded. The thoughts of his spectral friend reminded him of his more lively ones. Not once today had he received any message from Sam or Tucker. Jazz had taken the time out of her busy schedule to message him. Why couldn't Sam and Tucker? It hurt... They were supposed to be his best friends yet they had not talked to him in two weeks. Maybe they just forget? _"No, they would not have forgotten my death day... Or would they?"_ Danny questioned, his superhuman speed diminishing as well as his previous happy emotions. A light frown present on this pale face.

 

Had Sam and Tucker joined the dark side? Had they decided join Maddie and Jack in expressing their distaste for him? Perhaps they would create the 'let's despise and tear Danny apart molecule by molecule' club. "They wouldn't... They're my friends." Danny attempted to convince himself, the next sentence spoken in an agitated grumble. "And I am talking to myself. Great." A scowl replacing the frown for a moment. It had been Sam who convinced him to celebrate the day she basically killed him and he had every right to be a little bitter about it. She even had the audacity to never apologize for almost turning him into a crispy piece of Danny jerky.

 

Why did he love her in the first place? For all he knows she could still be dating Elliot, aka Gregor, the one GIW member Danny was tempted to permanently take care of. His inner turmoil leading to him practically fly by his destination, Skulker and Ember's lair. One sharp left turn later and he was once again traveling in the proper direction.

 

Tall jungle trees native to the island stretched high into the endless space, decorated with thick vines and various exotic flora. He had never once thought he would find an eerie jungle island with a skull on it homey. After spending weeks on the island with Skulker he found out it was surprisingly beautiful. Especially when he was not running for his life or potentially in danger of losing his 'pelt'.

 

Ember's lair was without a doubt just as unique as her. Bright blue flames engulfed the lair, while an oddly normal one story house sat in the center. Danny was shocked when he had first laid eyes on it. A regular house on a perpetually flaming island was not where he expected the fiery pop singer to live. He had always imagined it would be flashy and over the top.

 

Once at the edge of the island Danny slowly flouted towards the dark grass ground, his spectral tail transforming into a pair of legs. He would have flown straight to Skulker's skull house but past experiences taught him that walking the rest of the way was a wise choice. Let's just say he got tangled up in some vines and Skulker will never let him live it down. It was defiantly something Danny did not plan on repeating... a third time. Plus it was a short walk to Skulker's strange residence.

 

Danny admired the unique assortment of colorful flowers as he made his way to a house any normal human would consider foreboding. Once at his destination he noticed the lack of light from the giant skull house. _"Maybe he's not home."_ Danny thought, treading through the house's opening. Right after Danny stepped in the room the lights flicked on and he was meet with a chorus of shouts from some of his ghostly friends. Each wearing their usual clothes. Or armor in Skulker's case.

 

"Happy death day, Whelp." Skulker loudly proclaimed, far too loudly if the pain that shot through Danny's ears was an indication.

 

"Happy death day, Dipstick!" Ember cheered, most likely attempting to be heard.

 

"Happy death day, Danny." Kitty yelled, competing with Ember on who could be the loudest.

 

"Congratulations on living to your second death day, Phantom." Sidney Poindexter excitedly hollered. Though not quite as loudly as the three ghosts that had a vendetta against Danny's ears. The sentiment behind the words was kind, even if it was a bizarre thing to say. Most new ghosts rarely lived passed their first death day. Ghost hunters and teens dabbling in the dark arts normally destroyed them before they had a chance.

 

"Kid, Happy death day." Johnny 13 casually congratulated, a light smile on his face. His voice drowned out by the combined loudness of Skulker, Ember, Kitty, and Sidney.

 

Danny could hardly understand a word any of them said as they spoke in unison. "Thanks." Danny said politely, hoping they did indeed congratulate him and not take the moment to insult him. As he scanned the interior of the skull he noted the absurd amount of decorations. Bright green and black party streamers, ghost shaped confetti, balloons, and glitter were literally everywhere. Danny assumed Ember and Kitty handled the decorations. He could only pray he would not be picking glitter off his shoes for years. Hell it would be a miracle if he did not leave a trail of the horrific sparkly stuff.

 

"We tried to invite some of your other acquaintances, but they are occupied with other arrangements." Sidney pointed out. "Though, some did leave their death day gifts for you here. Pandora, Frostbite, Dorathea, Amorpho, Wulf, and Clockwork want to give them to you themselves." Giving gifts to your friends on their death day was one of many odd ghost traditions. Danny felt the creeping feeling of disappoint due to the lack of his other friends, but he still had some of his friends here so that was what counted.

 

"So what sort of 'arrangements' are they occupied with?" Danny inquired, curiously. He knew for a fact none of them would miss his death day. He looked to his friends for an answer. Everyone suddenly stiffened and appeared nervous. No one spoke up or even moved until Sidney gathered the courage to say something. "The Box Ghost and Lunch Lady are busy preparing of their baby. While your other friends appear to have been called to an important meeting by the Ancients." Sidney explained. "Sadly, no one knows why they were summoned. The purpose of the meeting is very top secret."

 

Dread filled him at the mention of his friends and the Ancients being together in the same room. The Ancients were extremely powerful and well ancient ghosts. Clockwork was technically one of the Ancients. He was the only Ancient that didn't scare the remaining life out of Danny. A lot of the other Ancients weren't exactly known for their friendliness or tolerance of humans.

 

"What do you think of the party, Whelp?" Skulker asked, poorly attempting to lighten the mood. The hunter ghost still referred to Danny as Whelp despite his objection. "I originally wanted to take you hunting but Ember thought a party would be a good change of pace." It was nice of them to throw him a party, even if the glitter would haunt him worse than any ghost he has ever faced. Well maybe not his evil future self. The dastard was far more diabolical then glitter could ever hope to be.

 

"It is nice, Skulker. Thanks. You guys didn't really need to throw me a party." Danny said, gratefully. Suddenly, Ember slapped the back of Danny's head. "Of course we had to throw you a party." Ember stated, while Danny gently rubbed the spot she whacked. "Now enjoy it." Even though the last part sounded menacing, Danny knew Ember meant it with the best intentions.

 

"Calm down Ember. The kid already said he likes the party." Johnny said, still holding on to his laid back demeanor. "Hey kid, how about we just skip to the part where you open our gifts. Kitty and I have a date tonight." It was not a very surprising confession from Johnny. The two ghosts had finally got married two months ago. Danny still held a tiny grudge against Johnny for picking Shadow to be his best ghost.

 

"Okay. We can do that as long as no one else has any objections." Danny replied, secretly praying someone would. "Does anyone have any objections?" He scanned the occupants of the room who all shook their head, leaving Danny a tad disappointed. They all most likely had other things they wanted to do with their significant other. Did Sidney even have something to do or someone to be with? If given the choice Danny would probably decide to be with his lover as well. Sadly, he did not truly have one. There was a time he would say Sam was his girlfriend but now he didn't believe she ever was. She might have just dated him out of guilt or pity.

 

At least the faster the party ended the sooner he could return to the mansion and play with Spooky. She was most likely bored out of her mind with nothing in the cage to keep her entertained. "Since you're opening the presents now, you should open the gifts Johnny and I got you." Kitty proclaimed. Before Danny had a chance to reply Ember interrupted him. "Babypop can decide whose gift to open first himself." Ember calmly countered.

 

Kitty immediately appeared offended and itching to fight. Ember on the other hand remained composed, which only aggravated Kitty more. Danny turned his attention from the two girls to their boyfriends. Both Johnny and Skulker looked clueless as to how to stop a brawl from breaking out. He felt sorry for the two ghosts. They had to deal with this kind of behavior on a daily basis. Danny took pity on them and figured out a way that should make both Ember and Kitty happy.

 

"How about you all show me your gifts at the same time?" Danny nervously questioned, not wanting to incur the wrath of the two female ghosts. The two broke out of what appeared to be an intense staring contest to glare at Danny, leading him to raise his hands in a sign of defeat. "But that takes all the fun out of opening presents." Kitty whined. In a way she was right. It did take way from the present opening experience, but he could care less about the gifts. Danny just wanted his friends to be happy... And not fighting about whose gift he should open first. "Yeah!" Ember agreed.

 

It seemed as though the two female specters wouldn't allow him to get out of this the easy way. "I'll open Sidney's gift first." Danny decided. Sidney was clearly excited to show Danny what he got him. Kitty crossed her arms and pouted, but did not say anything in retaliation. On the other hand, Ember looked pleased. A slight look of surprise flashed across Skulker's mechanical face.

 

Meanwhile, Johnny was consoling his clingy wife. Danny almost shuttered at the thought of Kitty's clingy nature. She was a good friend, but an awful significant other. Sometimes Kitty joked that if she and Johnny ever had a falling out she would date Danny again. In the event that ever happened Danny would move far, far, far away. Maybe to space.

 

Sidney pulled a small rectangular box, coated in green wrapping paper with a tiny black bow on top, out of thin air. Danny was still baffled by the fact ghosts managed to do this all the time. He had yet to master that unique skill. Pulling a pen or pencil out of nowhere was the best he could do. When Sidney handed him the box Danny began to unwrap it.

 

After shedding the box of its decorations only a plain black box remained. He slowly rid the box of its lid to find a pair of black sports sunglasses with neon green lenses. "Cool. These will go great with my outfit." Danny spoke, grateful he didn't get a pocket protector. Since he had no pockets he wanted to put one in. "Thanks, Sidney. I love them." He placed them back in their box before hiding them with his domino mask. Danny had a feeling the glasses would come in handy later. Whether it was soon or farther away in the future, only Clockwork could tell.

 

"Those aren't just any sunglasses, they are enchanted sunglasses. The enchantment allows you to hide in plain sight, but it can be seen through by those with exceptional perception." Sidney stated. So the glasses wouldn't just make him look cool, they would hide him from the ignorant and unperceptive. "So don't run around any detectives, got it." Danny joked, doubting he would ever run into any detectives. The people of the living realm were so clueless they couldn't catch a hint if it was right in front of them. "Technically one does not need to be a detective to have extraordinary perception." Sidney retorted.

 

"Open mine next." Kitty chanted, excitedly. Before Danny could speak she shoved a small, unwrapped, box in his face. Ember rolled her eyes, the action went unnoticed by Kitty. He took a step back, attempting to put some space between the box and his face. His hand carefully grabbed the box. It was light. What could she have possible gotten him? Danny curiously opened the box and was greeted with the sight of an ice blue ring. No design adorned the ring. He prodded the ring only to discover it was as cold as ice. "It's an ice ring. Thought it would be a good gift since you have trouble keeping cool in the summer." Kitty cheerfully explained. It was a great gift. Summer was the worst time of year for Danny. The heat made him moody and hurt his ice core.

 

"Thanks, Kitty. It will definitely solve some problems I have been having." Danny said, his death day gloom still present. He managed to give Kitty a small smile that promptly disappeared. Danny slipped the ring on to his index finger. A cool feeling spread across him body. _"Well, now I don't need to worry about hot weather. I feel like I could walk through a desert and still be cold."_ Danny thought.

 

"I guess you should open my gift next." Ember stated. Weren't they supposed to let him choose whose gift to open? Danny was not complaining though. Now he didn't need to choose between his friends and risk hurting someone's feeling. "I hope you don't mind I didn't wrap it." Ember said, clearly not sorry about forgoing the wrapping paper. She then blinked out of existence before flickering back with an electric guitar in one hand. The guitar was black with neon green strings, and a neon green strap. Its appearance that of a Fender Stratocaster.

 

"Wow." Danny whispered, taking it from the rock star ghost and holding it in both hands. He had learned a thing or two about playing the guitar from Ember. Though Danny had never thought about getting his own guitar. But he had to be good if Ember herself felt he needed one. After all, she loathed terrible music... And musicians. Danny internally grimaced. That poor drummer never stood a chance. _"If I ever practice I should make sure Ember is not around to hear it."_ Danny mentally noted. The last thing he wanted was for her to listen to a bad performance. Or else he might join that drummer.

 

"You like it?" Ember inquired. Danny did not just like it, he loved it. He blamed Ember for his love of the instrument. Her love of the musical art must have rubbed off on him. "It's great. Thanks." Danny happily replied, slinging the electric guitar over his right shoulder. He was excited to play it when he got back to Vlad's. _"I wonder if I could teach Spooky to sing."_ Danny pondered. It would certainly make for an interesting band. The ghost boy and his singing owl... No. That was too weird even by his standards. "Glad you like it." Ember said, Skulker walking up beside her.

 

"Here, Whelp." Skulker stated as he shoved a bowie knife into Danny's chest. He awkwardly took the object from the hunter. The sheath was crafted out of a rough black leather. Danny carefully pulled the knife free. A white handle, probable made out of some creature's horn, attached to a toxic green Damascus blade. "Thanks, Skulker. It's nice." Danny said. Honestly, he should have seen that coming. Another knife to add to his collection. Skulker gave Danny every single one he had amassed over the past months. Pocket knives, throwing knives, kitchen knives, butter knives, and etc. If it was sharp and pointy there was a high chance he had one in his knife room.

 

All that was left was to see Johnny's gift. Then he would go since his 'friends' had better things to do. Maybe Vlad would be back from whatever it was he needed to take care of. "You saved the best for last, Kid." Johnny stated, confidence rolling off him. Some of the other occupants in the room glared at him. "Follow me." The dirty looks he received failed to ruin his confidence. Every filed out of the ominous house.

 

Outside was an object hidden by a blue tarp, Johnny positioned to its right. "I made this beauty with my ectoplasm, sweat, and tears. I spent so much on working on her Kitty got jealous. I hope you like it." With that said Johnny grabbed that tarp with both hands and dramatically revealed the hidden item. Everyone gawked at the machine before them, noticeably disappointed their gifts had been out done. "This beauty is one hundred percent the best motorcycle you will ever lay eyes on. I call her the Speed Spirit, has more than enough horsepower to back it up too." Johnny boasted, crossing his arms as a smug look settled on his face. "What do you think?"

 

Left speechless, Danny could only gape in wonder at the vehicle. It was perfect. He doubted he would ever find a motorcycle he loved as much as the one in front of him. The motorcycle was breathtaking, style reminiscent of a Honda CBR600RR. Black fairings coated the body of the vehicle, neon green rims and a matching seat added a splash of color to the pitch black motorcycle. Danny had considered getting one after he rode Johnny's motorcycle months ago during the whole Guys In White trying to destroy the Ghost Zone debacle. It had felt as amazing as flying.

 

"Hey Kid, I get she's amazing but you might want to close your mouth." Johnny spoke, clearly amused. Danny's mouth snapped shut with an audible click, leaving him staring at the motorcycle. He honestly had no idea what to say. He was grateful Johnny put so much effort into his death day gift. How on earth was he going to get Johnny a death day gift that topped this?

 

"I love it! Thank you, Johnny! It is perfect. I couldn't ask for anything better." Danny said. A genuine smile settling on his face, one of the largest he had cracked all day. He had no idea how he would get it back to Vlad's. Especially since he had so many other things to carry back. "It's more than just a mode of transportation too. Technus gave me a little help on the more high tech aspects." Johnny admitted. "Though it defiantly looks like you could use one of those features right now." Then Johnny pressed a button on one of the handles transforming it into a small compact cube. "Here ya go." He said, handing Danny the black box. Danny was even more impressed with the machine, now all he need was an instruction manual. Since there was a distinct lack of one he concluded he had a lot of testing ahead of him. Danny slipped it into another secret pocket. Not wanting to risk squishing his mask or sunglasses.

 

"Well it looks like I've opened everyone's gifts now. Another strange ghost traditions I need to participate in?" Danny said, disappointment creeping into his voice. Everyone shook their head 'no'. He really wanted to spend more time with his friends. Sadly, the feeling didn't seem to be mutual. He tried and failed to not take it personal. Danny knew ghosts were not great friends. Most preferred staying solitary for the rest of their afterlife. Their decision still hurt.

 

"I guess I should get going. Vlad is probably worried about me by now." Danny said. He hoped his friends would stop him. "What about your other gifts?" Johnny questioned. Oh, right. Danny had completely forgotten about them. "I figured I would just take them back to Vlad's and open them there." Danny answered. It wasn't a complete lie. He would open them when he got back.

 

Ember vanished inside and returned with a stack of unopened presents. When she got close enough to Danny she promptly shoved them into his unsuspecting arms. The gifts sat awkwardly in his arm. Afterwards, his friends told him their goodbyes.

 

"Be safe, Dipstick." Ember said, thoughtfully.

 

"We should go on a hunting trip next time. I can show you how to properly use that knife too." Skulker stated, the armored blob was not very skilled at saying goodbye. But he always tried his best.

 

"See ya later, Kid." Johnny spoke in his usual calm demeanor.

 

"Farewell, Phantom." Sidney said, immediately vanishing to somewhere. It stung that nerdy ghost didn't stick around. Danny convinced himself the ghost had somewhere important to be.

 

"Bye, Danny." Kitty said, scooping Danny into a suffocating hug. Okay, maybe she was a somewhat clingy friend too. Thankfully it was not as bad as it was when he dated her. That level of clinginess had no words to describe it. It was that bad. He gently pushed her away in the most un-offensive way possible. She seemed to get the hint and backed up. Thus giving Danny some glorious personal space.

 

He hesitantly turned to leave, looking back once to see the ghosts had already made themselves scarce. They didn't wait for him to say goodbye. "Of course... What was I expecting?" Danny muttered, turning back to his destination. He followed the path back to where he originally landed on the jungle island. He wasn't looking forward to the slow trip back to the mansion. Danny bid an unheard farewell to his friends before carefully taking off into the Ghost Zone, heading in the direction of Vlad's portal.

* * *

 

 

**Chapter Three**

 

By the time Danny arrived at Vlad’s the sun was low in the sky. Sky blue fading into pink, orange, and a hint of purple. When Danny stepped through the portal, the green of the Ghost Zone was replaced by the greys of Vlad’s laboratory. Spooky immediately shrieked at Danny causing him to jump in fright. She was really living up to her name. During the scare he inadvertently transformed back into his human self. The owl crying in protest when she was blinded by the rings of white light that traveled down Danny’s body.

 

Now the spooked halfa was clothed in his black T-shirt with a blue circle in the middle.  It was a simple design and very similar to his old shirt. Blue jeans replace the odd Kevlar ones his ghost form wore, and black sneakers covered his feet instead of combat boots. The unopened gifts he had been carefully carrying flew out of his arms and hit the lab floor with a loud thud. Strangely, all the other presents he got vanished with his ghost form. _“I hope none of that is fragile…”_ Danny thought. He gazed disapprovingly at the black owl, who was now wildly flapping her wings.

 

“Spooky, don’t do that! You almost startled the afterlife out of me.” Danny chided, his voice laced with disapproval. She halted her flailing to shriek once more at Danny. Maybe Spooky was hungry. Or her eyes hurt for his transformation. He had been gone for quite a while so he imagined it was the former option. Danny scoured the lab for whatever Vlad had been feeding her. After a few minutes he found what he was looking for.

 

“Here it is.” Danny said to no one in particular. A cage of mice sat on the bottom shelf in one of the cabinets. Five grey field mice were scurrying around inside. He felt sorry for Spooky’s dinner. Danny opened the cage and gentle pulled out a plump grey mouse. “Sorry, but Spooky needs to eat…” Danny sorrowfully told the mouse, knowing it probably did not understand him. Then he snapped shut the cage door shut. An audible click echoing throughout the lab. The sound reminding Danny of the fate he was condemning the mouse to.

 

He reluctantly walked over to Spooky. She was excitedly hooting at the prospect of food. Danny opened the door, careful to not let Spooky escape. He gentle dropped the mouse in her cage before closing the cage door. The owl immediately swooped down, swiftly catching the mouse in her talons. The talons dug into the sides of the unfortunate mouse causing blood to flow out of the wounds. The smell of blood strangely didn’t bother him… It almost smelled good. For the love of the Ancients, what was wrong with him?!

 

Danny watched as Spooky swallowed the mouse whole, horrified at his previous thoughts. Was something wrong with him? Had he caught a strange ghost illness? Yeah, that had to be it… Why else would he find the scent of blood appealing? He looked around desperate to distract himself from what just happened.    

 

He turned his attention back to the gifts scattered across the tile floor. Hopefully nothing was damaged. Danny slowly gathered the presents, stacking them onto an empty metal table _“Might as well open them now.”_ Danny thought, prepared to find a broken object. He picked a small box off the top of the pile. Dark blue wrapping paper covered the box. It had a tiny box glued on top in a similar way that someone would put a bow on a gift. _“The Box Ghost… Even without a label it has his name written all over it.”_ Danny thought. _“That means it’s probably from the Lunch Lady as well.”_

 

If the Lunch Lady did help Boxie pick out his death day present than his chance of getting bubble wrap was decreased to fifty percent. Sadly, the chance he got some kind of meat was also increased to fifty percent. Danny shed the box of its papery coating. Underneath lied a plain grey box. He lifted the lid off only to find… another box. It was wrapped too. “A box in a box… Very original _.”_ Danny said, slightly annoyed by extra box that he now needed to unwrap. “How many boxes are you hiding?” The inanimate box didn’t reply to his question. It just sat upon the table.

 

“I’ll make you talk eventually.” Danny said in a deep voice, pretending to interrogate the innocent box. After quickly deciding he didn’t want to stand there all night he ripped the wrapping paper off the box. Danny could always question some boxes later. As well as his sanity. Thankfully the box didn’t contain another wrapped cardboard box. A black bento box was inside. Why a bento box? Danny honestly had no idea. Maybe because it combined the two things the odd ghosts love. He was just happy there wasn’t another cardboard box, or bubble wrap.    

 

Danny pulled it out of its cardboard prison and put it aside. A square box, smaller than the last, stood on top of a long rectangular box. They shared the same wrapping paper as the gift from the Box Ghost and Lunch Lady. _“Guess they really love this wrapping paper. Maybe I should get them some more.”_ Danny thought. He grabbed the square box and peeled away its colorful paper cover. After removing the square lid from the top he saw a… PDA?  

 

It was flat. The ‘PDA’ was at least half a centimeter thick, two and a half inches wide, and five and a half inches long. The cover on the back was pitch black. What kind of PDA was this? Danny had never seen anything like it. He could only assume this was Technus’ latest creation.

 

Danny curiously fiddled with the device. There were two buttons, one on each side of the phone. _“Wonder what it does._ ” Danny thought as he held one of the buttons down. Suddenly the screen lit up and a loud noise, similar to what computer sounded like when you turned it on, blared out of the ‘PDA’. “What the fuck!” Danny cursed, having been sufficiently jump scared. He leapt at the unexpected sound and dropped the noisy object. Danny lunged at the ‘PDA’ and just barely managed to catch it before it meet the tile floor.

 

“Why the hell did Technus make this so loud?!” Danny hissed, deciding that he was done messing with the object for now. His ears had suffered enough to day. Based on Spooky’s unhappy shriek, she didn’t appreciate the loud object either.  He scowled at the ‘PDA’ as he placed the cursed thing next to the lunch box. Only the large rectangular box remained unopened. Danny prayed the gift would not assault his ears too.

 

Once he rid the box of its wrapping paper and lid he found a sword. It was most likely his gift from Fright Knight. The sword was a simple medieval short sword, fully green like the knight’s personal sword of terror. It had the same odd green glow as the Soul Shredder. Hopefully it wasn’t as terrifying as the Soul Shredder. The last thing Danny needed was a sword that makes people live through their worst nightmare.

 

He and Fright Knight hadn’t always been friends, they were actually still enemies after the disasteroid incident. But as soon as the spirit of Halloween learned Danny was training as a knight at Princess Dorathea’s castle he wanted to teach Danny the true way of the knight. After a few sword lessons and sparing matches they became pretty good friends. They even joked about the Halloween Danny stole his sword. Fright Knight would never let him live it down.

 

So Danny decided he would never let Fright Knight live down saying ‘flaming bed sheets of death’. To this day, Danny had yet to not remind him of the odd attack. Once he got some of Dora’s knights to hang up some flaming sheets when Fright Knight visited. The Halloween spirit was livid, but it was worth the initial look on his face.  

 

Danny covered the mysterious sword back up, noting that he should ask Fright Knight about what it does before messing with it. Now that he was no longer distracted Spooky took the opportunity to make her presence known. Danny shifted towards the softly hooting owl. She was done eating and obviously wanted to stretch her wings. He sauntered over and opened her cage door. Spooky preceded to fly out of the cage before contently perching on his shoulder.

 

Apparently she did not want to stretch her wings, she wanted to ride on his shoulder. “I guess I should have expected Vlad to pick a lazy owl.” Danny said, Spooky hooted in protest at the comment. He sauntered to the table to gather the gifts, leaving the boxes and discarded wrapping paper behind. Danny decided he would deal with it tomorrow. He knew if Vlad saw it that he wouldn’t mind too much.  

 

Danny began the journey to his room. The usual combination of gold and green littered the long, winding halls. Once he reached his room he notice his door was open, not that he minded. It made getting in to his room with an owl on his shoulder and gifts in his arms so much easier. Though he could have fazed through the door if it was closed. Danny noted that there was a now a wooded perch in his room for Spooky. Vlad must have left it there before going off to Ancients knows where. Danny placed the gifts on the end of his bed when something on his nightstand caught his attention.

 

On the wooden nightstand laid a piece of white note book paper. It definitely was not there earlier that day. Danny made his way over to the mysterious note. He gently placed Spooky on his bed before grabbing the paper. _“Oh, it’s from Vlad.”_ Danny thought, examining the handwriting. Of course his note was in the form of a letter. The man was practically incapable of writing, or doing, anything informal. Danny began reading the letter in his best Vlad impression.

 

“Dear Daniel, I regret to inform you that I have urgent business to attend to out of town. I expect to be back by Tuesday.” So he would be back in roughly three days. At least Danny didn’t need to wait a month for Vlad to return. It would still be lonely without the fruit-loop. Maybe he should ‘haunt’ Skulker while Vlad was gone. No, he couldn’t do that to the hunter. The awkward blob was trying to spend more time with Ember.

 

“Do not forget to eat. There is plenty of food in the kitchen and there is money on the table in case you need anything.” Danny had no idea if he would eat anything while Vlad was gone. He barely got that yogurt down. It was a struggle to keep it down too.

 

“Please do not ditch your bodyguard when you go out. I know you can protect yourself, but he is there to keep you safe if any ghost hunters attack you.” It was so annoying having someone follow him everywhere he went. Vlad hated it when Danny snuck away from his bodyguard.  Danny never regretted it. Even if Vlad gave him the scolding of a life time for ditching the bodyguard.

 

“Happy death day. I hope you find a way to get some enjoyment out of today. Be safe. Best Wishes, Vlad Masters.” His ‘friends’ did brighten up his day a little. But not enough that he would do anything more than play with Spooky. He would probably sulk in bed like this morning afterwards. “What do you think, Spooky? Did I nail Vlad’s voice or what?” Danny asked, the question was more rhetorical than anything else. Spooky cocked her head slightly left in response. He knew his impression was spot on. Ghosts were masters of deception and mimicry. The skill made prank calls even more fun. The way people freaked out when they heard their own voice talking back to them was the best.

 

He opened the nightstands drawer and placed the note inside for safe keeping. Danny glanced at the clock. It was late, roughly twelve o’clock. Had he really spend that much it in the lab? He walked over to his closet, opening the door so he could fish out a pair of pajamas. Like his room, the closet was bare. There were a few articles of clothing here and there, but other than that nothing else resided in the space. _“Oh, right. I can put my gifts in here.”_ Danny thought, returning to the bed and gathering the items. He placed them on the floor underneath a couple of hanging shirts. Danny snagged his nightwear before closing the door and throwing the clothes on his bed.

     

He was about to change in to his pajamas when he remembered Spooky was in the room. “Sorry, Spooky.” Danny said, slightly embarrassed. “I will let you back in after I change.” He took the black owl’s perch, placing it outside his room before moving her there. Spooky didn’t seem too happy about the situation, but she sat quietly on the wooden perch.

 

When Danny got back in his room he quickly changed. He had no clue what Spooky would do if he left her alone for too long. Plus he didn’t want to risk her ruining any of Vlad’s decorations. Or fly out of a mysteriously open window. By the time he was ready to let Spooky in the room he was wearing a black pair of shorts with a matching under shirt. The shirt leaving his many scars visible. Being a ghost hunter and superhero was a hazardous job. He had gotten a lot less injures since he changed costumes.

 

Danny opened the door only to find Spooky siting right in front of him. She looked upset. He felt kind of bad for making her way outside. The pitch black owl took the opportunity to fly past him, gracefully landing on his nightstand. He rolled his eyes and returned the perch next to one of his windows. Spooky promptly flew away for the nightstand in favor of the perch.  While Spooky would be up for the night, Danny planned on getting some sleep.

 

Not that he required much sleep, but the day had been exhausting, physically and emotionally. “Good night, Spooky.” Danny said, softly scratching the owl’s head. Spooky returned the words with a soft hoot. At least Danny liked to think she was saying ‘good night’. He promptly flopped on to his bed, snuggling under the thin sheets, before falling into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

 

 

**Chapter Four**

 

Clockwork was furious to say the least. He wanted nothing more than to tell the Observants to go to the Unworld and suffer there for all eternity. It wasn't just him who was summoned either. All the Ancients and some of his adoptive son's powerful acquaintances were called as well. Clockwork already had an idea as to why the annoying, one-eyed, green creatures dared to drag him away from his son, and on Daniel's death day no less.

 

He prayed nothing bad would happen to the boy while he was at the meeting. Daniel was one of the few ghosts whose future was cloudy and difficult to read. Vladimir, or Vlad as the halfa preferred to be called, was another one of those few. Clockwork never predicted the two halfas becoming so close, but he was happy young Daniel had someone else that could understand some of his struggles. He couldn't help but be disappointed at the path Jack and Madeline Fenton took.

 

Clockwork had desperately hoped they would accept Daniel like in some other timelines. They had such great potential to become loving, caring parents, but they threw away that chance the moment they harmed his son. When Clockwork found out he wanted to break his one rule and erase their bloodline from history. He wanted that more than anything, but he couldn't tear Jasmine away from Daniel. His son had already suffered enough loss in his life. Clockwork deeply cared about the boy's feeling and safety. Bringing harm to Jasmine was a good way to make his son hate him for all eternity. Clockwork could hardly imagine what his life would be like without Daniel, let alone what it would be like if his son loathed him.

 

The ghost of time was currently flouting through a large hall, inspired by Greek architecture, to an equally huge ornate wooden door. At the moment, he was in his adult form. While his appearance did have a tendency to shift, he could control which form he took on for a certain amount of time. He figured going to the meeting in his child form would make him appear less serious about the problem at hand. Though he would never admit it, he was afraid some of the Ancients would mock the form like they had in the past. Just as he was reaching for the ornamental door handle a figure slammed into his back and pulled him into a soul crushing hug.

 

"Clocky! It's nice to see you!" the mysterious ghost exclaimed, the ghost's voice was gruff and carried a happy tone. Clockwork cringed at the nickname. "Why don't you ever visit?!" Clockwork failed to repress a sigh. He knew this ghost, he knew him very well. His older brother, Gateway, the ghost of dimensional and universal travel. His brother was one of the few ghosts that could sneak up on him. It was likely a skill he perfected as an older brother. Like him, his brother was one of the Ancients. Clockwork was surprised his brother was even called to this meeting, and by the fact he actually showed up. His brother left many centuries ago to travel the multiverse and other parallel dimensions. He may or may not still be a little bitter about Gateway abruptly deciding to vanish on him.

 

Clockwork wished he could have predicted his brother's choice, but Gateway had always been strange and unpredictable. He could hardly remember the last time he saw Gateway, and that was saying a lot since he knew all that would, or would not, happen. "It has been far too long, Gateway." Clockwork sighed, still trapped in Gateway's unrelenting embrace. "Sorry I did not take the time to traverse dimensions and universes to visit you. In case you have forgotten, I am the master of time, not dimensional and universal travel." He winced at the bitterness that crept into his voice, his brother either ignored it or simply did not notice.

 

It wasn't that he was unhappy to see his brother again. He just wished he had had more time to sort out his emotions toward Gateway's disappearance and the fact he left a note that said 'Gone traveling, be back later', it was far past 'later'. Part of him wanted to demand his brother tell him where he has been all these year, the other half wanted nothing more than to hug his brother back. But he wasn't the young adult Gateway left behind anymore. He was an experienced ancient ghost, the master of time.

 

Gateway broke out in to a fit of laughter. "We-well I'd h-hope not. The-the last thing you n-need to do is st-steal another j-job." Gateway choked out in between his laughs. The ghost suddenly ceased his laughter and released his younger brother before spinning him around so they were facing each other, his demeanor becoming more serious. Seriousness had never been Gateway's strong suit but he looked more serious than Clockwork had ever seen. Gateway had changed significantly since Clockwork last saw him. His brother still managed to tower over him even after all these years, just like when they were young.

 

A large blue cloak that appeared as though it had captured a galaxy completely enveloped Gateway, hood obscuring his head, cloak billowing despite the lack of wind. His brother always did have a flare for the dramatics. Apparently that never changed over the centuries. The most drastic difference being the emotionless white mask covering his face, two round holes revealed Gateway's luminescent sky blue, pupil-less eyes. Gateway always hated masks after the… incident. Clockwork was shock by how much Gateway covered himself up. When he had last seen his brother he had been wearing a simple purple cloak that complemented his natural periwinkle purple skin, short spiky Alice blue hair free from any form of cover, no mask covering his chiseled face.

 

"Clockwork, you may be the master of time, but you are not getting any younger. We might be immortal to some extent but someone could kill us if they really tried with all their might." Gateway stated, his tone grim. Clockwork knew where this conversation was going and he did not like it. He opened his mouth to say something but Gateway cut him off before he could speak. "I know you do not want another apprentice after what happened last time. It wasn't a fun experience for either of us, but you need to take on an apprentice again. If you don't find one, I _will_ find the ghost of our father and get him to slap some sense into you. "

 

Clockwork knew his brother would not budge on the matter and would keep his threat. He had to find an apprentice even though he vowed to never train another Keeper of Time again. "You are not going to let this go, are you?" Clockwork whispered, looking anywhere than his brother. He silently pleaded Gateway would say 'yes' and he could forget about the whole conversation. He knew it would not be that simple. "I'm sorry, Clocky, but you know you should have taken a new apprentice a long time ago. If it bothers you that much, why don't you just make your son your new apprentice." Gateway said, his voice gentle and understanding.

 

Now that got Clockwork's attention. His over protective father mode activated, back straightening, shoulders stiffening, and his own luminescent red eyes meeting his brother's sky blue. How did Gateway learn about Daniel? His brother had been gone running around who knows where for years and he most certainly had not mentioned his son yet. "I don't believe I mentioned my son during any part of our conversation, how exactly did you come to learn of his existence?" Clockwork questioned, his voice slipping into the authoritative tone he used when working.

 

Based on his outward appearance no one could guess he was terrified about who else might have learned about his son. He did not like to share the knowledge he had a son for a good reason. The last thing Daniel needed was more ghosts targeting him. Publicly announcing he was the boy's father would paint a target even larger than the Ghost Zone on his back. The Guys In White would consider him an even greater threat than before and ghosts from all over the Ghost Zone would be after him.

 

"Just because I have been off gallivanting in other dimensions and universes doesn't mean I ever stopped worrying about my little brother. I always found a way to keep tabs on you." Gateway said, gently placing a hand on one of Clockwork's shoulders. Clockwork released a sigh of relief. Now that he had nothing to worry about his posture softened. Gateway only knew because he somehow managed to keep track of what was going on in his life. It was a little creepy, but good. That meant no one other than who he and Daniel trust knew about him adopting the boy.

 

"Besides, when did you actually plan on telling me about my new nephew? I did not expect you to get over the fact I left without a moment's notice and all of a sudden returned centuries later in one day. Even if you hate me now, I still want to be a part of your life and I am sorry for vanishing on you." Gateway said. His brother had just come back home, there was no way Clockwork was about to chase him away. Plus, Daniel could another positive role model in his life… Well, slightly positive. Gateway could be absolutely diabolical when he wanted to be. "Apology accepted." Clockwork said, a small smile tugging at his lips before disappearing.

 

"Oh, come on! You might need to keep up appearances for everyone else but you don't, and will never, need to do that with me." Gateway said, spreading his arms expectantly waiting for a hug. Clockwork stood silently, not twitching a single muscle. He was worried someone would see them. He had a reputation to keep up after all. Gateway seemed to notice his hesitation and added "Plus, I am your older brother. I already know your most embarrassing secrets. Now as your big brother I demand you give me a hug. Don't worry I won't tell anyone, it will be our little secret."

 

Clockwork knew he could never win with Gateway, so he gave up while he still had his dignity and hugged his absurdly tall brother. Gateway wasted no time dragging him into another soul crushing hug. Clockwork could imagine how scared Daniel would be with Gateway towering over him. His brother's apparel would not help him look less intimidating either. After a bit of struggling in his brother's tight hold he managed to break free. "Give it some thought, your son is strong, have some faith in him. He defeated Pariah Dark. I'm sure he can handle learning a few tricks from you." He had once consider teaching his son the art of time keeping, but after what happened last time he wasn't sure if he wanted to put Daniel in that kind of danger. He sent Gateway a dubious expression, his lips turned down and brow wrinkled.

 

"Don't give me that look. We both know you are not going to have apprentice that will take over your job one day. You are too much of a workaholic." It was true. If he did take an apprentice again he would not teach them enough for them to be able to take his place. "You are far older than I am, shouldn't you be look for an apprentice." Clockwork deadpanned.

 

"I just travel. It is not really a job that requires an apprentice to take over for me one day." Gateway countered, a playful tone making its way into his voice.

 

"Now let's get this over with. Those one-eyed freaks won't wait forever." Gateway groaned, clearly looking forward to the meeting just as much as Clockwork. Gateway pushed the door, it slowly opened with a loud creak. They both passed through the doorway into a large meeting room, a circular table surrounded by chairs of all shapes and sizes sat in the middle, a variety of different ghosts seated in the room.

* * *

 

 

**Chapter Five**

 

The moon hung high in the sky when a sudden chill forced Danny to awaken from his dreamless sleep. Of course it was in fact his ghost sense. The past few weeks had been pretty slow, perhaps it was the calm before storm. The first thing he noticed was how quiet Spooky was. If there was an intruder surely Spooky would be making all kinds of noise by now. Danny sleepily dragged himself into a sit position on his bed. He groggily scanned his room, everything seemed normal until he caught sight of a giant ghost towering his nightstand, the ghost could probably touch the ceiling if they wanted to.

 

The ghost was even taller than Clockwork, he never thought would ever see a ghost that could easily look down on the master of time. A blue sparkling cloak that reminded him of galaxy completely covered the ghost, Danny would have thought it was cool under normal circumstances. A blank white mask sat on their face, glowing sky blue eyes could be seen through the holes. It was not the creepiest ghost Danny has ever seen but the ghost was still pretty unsettling. Danny silently gazed, wide eyed, at the ghost as he, or she, left a box on his nightstand.

 

“You’ll know when to open it.” The gruff sounding ghost said before slowly fading away, leaving Danny alone in his room with only Spooky. He was wide wake and on high alert, there was no way he was going back to sleep now. “So much for getting a good night’s sleep.” Danny grumbled. Based on the ghost’s voice they were male. He did not sound like anyone Danny was familiar with either. Maybe he was a new enemy? Then why would he have left a box on Danny’s nightstand? Unless it was a trap.

 

Danny cautiously picked up the box, it was a small ornate wooden, at least five inches tall and four inches wide. The ghost mentioned he would know when to open it, was that time really now, or should wait until later. He slowly cracked open the lid, catching a glimpse of some kind of paper, before snapping the box shut. Danny really wasn’t in the mood for mysteries or entirely sure he wanted to open the box at the current moment in time. He threw the box in his nightstand’s drawer with Vlad’s note. 

 

Since he already decided he was not going back to bed he might as well hit the streets and kick some ass. It had been a few days since he last went out and took down criminals. He glanced at Spooky. She was sitting on her perch preening her feather. He could leave her alone for a couple of hour, right? The worst she could do was ripe up some furniture. It wasn’t like Danny could take her with him anyways. He didn’t need her trying to claw off someone’s face. Though training her to help him with his night job was not a bad idea.  

 

He hopped out of bed and transformed into his ghostly counterpart, Spooky hooted angrily at him for the abrupt display of blinding light. Instead of his pajamas he was now clothed in his costume, a black t-shirt, jean like pants, trench coat, and steel toed combat boots. The hood of his trench coat was down, revealing his snow white hair. He willed his hair back to his human form’s raven black, his ghost form’s white hair stood out too much at night. Danny reached into one of his coat’s pockets and pulled out the most important piece of the outfit, a black domino mask.

 

When he placed it on his face it stuck to him like glue. Usually a person would need some kind of adhesive to get it to stick, but he was a ghost. The clothes a ghost wore naturally stuck to their body and could not be removed unless they wanted to take it off. Someone would have a better chance of ripping off his face before his mask. With his new costume he even chose a new moniker.

 

In the field he no long went by the famous name ‘Danny Phantom’. After everything that happened he created a new hero persona. Danny kept true to his eerie origins and called his new persona Grave-Keeper, or simply Grave. He was well aware of how much it sounded like a super villain name, Danny made the mistake of letting Vlad help him pick. His other options had been Gravestone and Graveyard, so either way his new moniker would be equally as ominous and evil sounding.

 

Danny considered going by just Phantom but it didn’t feel right. Phantom was his ghost name, like how Vlad’s ghost name was Plasmius. He wanted a real secret identity not a half-assed one. To him the moniker, Grave-Keeper, was a job title. Danny was surprised when he learned how many ghosts went by a title instead of their real name. For example, Clockwork was not the time controlling ghost’s name, it was his title. Danny would ask him what his real name is but it was considered highly rude in ghost culture.  He asked Clockwork how he acquired the title but the master of time skillfully avoided answering the question. It appeared to be a sore topic for Clockwork so he left it alone.  

 

An interesting thing about ghosts was that they hate being called anything other than the name they tell people to call them. Danny discovered his past name calling only made his opponents more aggressive, it was a mistake on his part for not being well informed on ghost culture. After he discovered how unintentional rude he had been to some of his ghost ‘friends’ he made sure to apologize. Needless to say, they forgave him. It also helped him understand why the name ‘Invis-o-Bill’ provoked him so much. Danny might be a half ghost but being referred to by an incorrect name aggravated him just as much as any other ghost.    

 

One of the first things he did was make sure everyone knew his moniker, lest they incur his ghostly wrath by calling him something ridiculous. The last thing he needed was a hero name equally as bad as ‘Invis-o-Bill’. They would probably call him ‘Shawn-dow’, a terrible mix of the name Shawn and the word shadow, because his new persona hid in the shadows and only appeared under the cover of the night. Part of the reason Danny only went out at night was because he was tired of not have a life, and because he wanted to be more discreet. When he was ‘Danny Phantom’ he was always on duty, whether it was day or night, which was why ‘Danny Phantom’ is retired.

 

After his secret was revealed his work increased tenfold, every day he was running on fumes. So he decided to retire ‘Danny Phantom’. The retirement was publicly announced thanks to Vlad, a lot of people were less than excited about his decision. A couple weeks later he hit the streets as Grave-Keeper in some random town far away from Amity Park so he wouldn’t draw attention to himself. Grave-Keeper did not just fight ghosts, he took care of human criminals as well, which was something he could never do as ‘Danny Phantom’.  Danny did not used his ghost powers when fighting a human, he did not want to accidentally severely injure them. Making puns, quips, and bantering with his foes was a thing of the past. It was a too ‘Danny Phantom’ thing to do when fighting, though that never stopped him from making the occasional remark.

 

Believe it or not the costume change and mask were enough to make people think he was a completely different person. Danny had expected they would but it was still shocking how stupid people are. It was unbelievably strange to him that ghosts were more intelligent than humans. One thing he did not predict was his human ‘friends’ not recognizing him. He was honestly starting to believe if they had not witnessed his accident they would have never known him and Phantom were the same person.

 

“I’ll be back later, Spooky. Don’t cause too much trouble.” Danny said as he walked over to his window. If he could not faze through the window he would have dramatically swung it open and vanish into the night. Sadly, opening the window would give Spooky a chance to escape. And he did not want to spend his night chasing after her. He settled for walking to the opposite side of the room before dashing to the window and jumping through it. His black clothes aiding his disappearance into the cloudy night. 

* * *

 

 

**Chapter Six**

 

The night was just the way Danny liked it. Cold and dark. Dark storm clouds on the horizon threatened to pelt the town with rain. Oak trees rustled in the chilly zephyr sweeping across the park he stopped at. Danny didn’t travel out of Wisconsin, he did not have the energy to travel too far away from the mansion since his sleep was cut short. Somewhere along his journey he stopped at some town called Appleton. During his travels he raised his coat’s hood over his head, effectively hiding his masked face and messy raven locks. He was resting in the grass by the uncreatively named ‘Fox River’ at the edge of the more interestingly named ‘Telulah Park’. Watching the water flow by and enjoying the cool cloudy night.

 

So far he had yet to run across any criminals. No bank robbers, jewelry thieves, or murderers had made themselves known. Not even the simple purse snatcher had made an appearance. His next stop was Riverside Cemetery to see if he could find any malicious spirits, but he was in no rush. The night air was crisp, pleasant to ghost with an ice core like himself, it would be a waste to not treasure it while it lasted.

 

The science of ghost cores still confused him. No one really knew what powers the core provided, it seemed to very depending on the ghost’s personality and obsession. Every ghost also had one or more sub cores which allowed them to use the abilities of other core types. It is complicated… Every core has a type; defense, healing, and offense. Danny wasn’t sure which one type he was. He asked Frostbite about it but the snow yeti was unable to pinpoint which one his core was, something about his core being too unnatural from the normal standards. From what he understood there are nine different core traits; fire, electric, water, ice, earth, plant, light, dark, and the very rare nameless trait. All of the Ancients have a nameless core so it was more commonly known as the archaic core.

 

His lack of sleep was starting to get to him, a long yawn escaped him. Falling asleep in some random park was not on his to do list. Getting up and moving around would hopefully help him fight away his need to sleep. Danny pulled himself off the cool ground, using his hands to brush off the pesky blades of grass that stuck to his clothes. The next stop on the vigilante express was one of the town’s cemeteries. There had to be a ghost or specter of some kind that was causing trouble. Maybe he would find a grave robber or two while he was there.

 

He sauntered over to the river’s edge before walking over to the opposite side. With each step he crafted a layer of ice underneath where he was placing his foot. Thus giving him the appearance of someone walking on water.  Icy blue glowing eyes, appearing whenever he uses his ice powers, hidden by the white lenses of his mask. He figure out how to change between him hair colors but he had yet to figure out how to keep his eyes from glowing. Danny hoped no one would see him and decide to start a holy war. He had caused plenty of things in the past, Fright Knight’s return, his future self’s attack, and many other incidents. He did not want a holy war to be one of them.

 

The cemetery looked just like what someone would expect it to. Grave lined up in rows, colorful flowers failing to brighten up the area, and a tall metal fence surrounding the place. The spikes made it look less than fun to climb. Unless you want to risk being cut or stabbed by them. Danny briefly pondered taking his chances with the fence but decided against it. With his luck the trench coat he was wearing would get caught on it. He used his ghost abilities to faze straight through the fence.

 

Danny wandered aimlessly around the cemetery. So far the only interesting thing he had seen was a new ghost struggling to fly. Their arms were flailing as they drifted into the night sky. He managed to get the panicking ghost back to the ground, where they then clung to the grassy dirt for dear life. The chapel in the area was small. It was a simple stone brick building with a green metal roof. A rectangular tower was situated in the middle of the structure. The front of the chapel had a small semi-circle garden decorated by box shrubs and various flowers. Black letters stuck to the front read ‘Riverside Cemetery’.  

 

_“Nothing’s happening tonight… Well, I guess I should be happy no one’s causing trouble or anything.”_ He was disappointed to find absolutely nothing. No criminal or supernatural activity seemed to be going on tonight. Just as he turned around, prepared to go home and get more sleep, a wisp of blue air exited his mouth. Before he could recognize it as his ghost sense he was struck in the back, causing him to stumble a few step forward. A sharp pain from the impact made his wince. Lightning flashed in the sky. He whipped around to see a cloaked figure standing atop the chapel’s tower, illuminated by the flash of lightning. They donned a black cloak, helping them blend into the shadows, they were at least a foot taller than Danny. Their cloak shrouded them entirely.  Making it impossible to make out any distinguishing features.

 

As the lightning faded the figure summoned a blazing green fire ball in their out stretched hand. _“I spoke too soon._ ” Danny thought, creating a plan of attack. The mysterious ghost was using fire so they likely had a fire core. Danny hated fighting ghosts with that core trait, his ice core was weak against it. Another fire ball was sent hurling towards him. He swiftly rolled out of the way, landing low to the ground in a crouch. It whizzed by his head with a whoosh. The fire singed the grass where he had been standing.

 

Danny kept dodging as the ghost relentlessly threw more fire balls his way. The ghost was giving him no openings for any form of attack. He needed some way to create one. Lightning struck a tree nearby, startling the fire flinging spirit. Danny took advantage of the brief opening and shot a well-aimed ghost ray at his foe’s shoulder mid roll. It was a direct hit. His attacker yelped and clutched their injury. Green ectoplasm seeped out the wound and dripped down their hand. The specter still had the high ground, something he had to fix.

 

Before they could recover from the blast he teleported behind them and punched as hard as he could. Using his ecto-energy to increase the power behind it. Normally he wouldn’t be so brutal but he was at major disadvantage against this ghost. As for the teleportation, it was an ability Danny was still trying to master. So far he could only travel short distances. He could not use it too much in a fight either. He could teleport four times without exhausting himself. It didn’t help that he barely got two hours’ worth of sleep. Limiting the amount of times he could teleport to two.

 

The momentum of the strike pushed the shocked spirit over the edge of the building. They quickly recovered. Flying the rest of the way to the ground. Once again Danny teleported behind them, knowing fully well he would not be able to teleport again, prepared to attack only to be hit right in the stomach with a fire ball. The wound on his stomach burned. It felt like his skin was on fire. A hole caused by the point blank blast revealed the blistering anger burn. His costume held up well against humans but ghosts were a different story. Especially if it took a hit from an ectoplasm attack so close to its source. He really needs to work on ghost proofing his clothes. “That trick will not work twice.” the ghost growled, summoning a circle of fire around them.

 

The shear amount of heat the flames emanated was making him sweaty and irritated. The blistering heat agitated his already aching wounds. Not even the cold air of the night could cool him down now. He cursed the fact he thought it would be an _‘oh so great’_ idea to leave the ice ring Kitty gave him at Vlad’s mansion. It would have come in handy right about now. Any ice he attempted to make melted almost instantly, leaving him with no way to fight off the heat.

 

A fiery punch smacked straight into his face, knocking him back slightly. Gritting his teeth at the searing pain of a burn forming on his face, he returned the attack with his own pitifully weak icy punch. Hissing in pain when his fist made contact with the ghost’s chest. Danny quickly retracted his hand, briefly catching sight of a second degree burn, backing away the ghost as much as he could without getting too close to the flames.  Why did fighting fire ghosts have to be such a pain in the ass!? If Vlad was still in Wisconsin he would have jumped in the middle of the altercation by now. This was without a doubt a time Danny would give anything to see the over protective fruit-loop appear out of nowhere. Even Clockwork’s presence would be greatly appreciated.

 

Times like this were why superheroes have back up. Sadly, Grave-Keeper had no alias to give him a hand in a fight. Tucker and Sam were out of the question. At this point he was being to feel like they were dead to him. But he wanted to give them a chance to redeem themselves. After all he has known them since he was a kid. They were his childhood friends.   

 

The scent of rain hung in the air, thunder roared from the sky above as the large cumulonimbus clouds quickly approached the town. There was going to be a down pour soon. Luck for Danny this was exactly what he need to turn this battle around. The rain would slow the fire ghost down and give Danny a higher chance of winning since his ice core was complemented by water. The ghost frantically looked around when another roar of thunder penetrated the air. They clearly had not predicted any rain would fall during their fight and was looking for an escape route. Water was deadly for ghosts with a fire core, just like how fire was deadly for a ghost with an ice core like himself.

 

Fat drops of water began to fall from the sky. Just as the cloaked ghost took off as fast as they could, Danny used his ice powers to create an ice wall, strengthening it with the moisture in the air. The ghost froze in their tracks, seeing their exit had been cut off, causing them to flee in the exact direction Danny wanted them to. He planned on herding the fire ghost to the river south of their location. The water from the river and the added water from the rain would be all he needed to win the battle. 

 

Danny chased after the fire spirit on foot, continuing to form ice walls when they deviated away from where he was leading them. When they broke through some bushed the specter spotted of the river. The fire ghost attempted to create a wall of fire between them and Danny so they could escape only to have the heavy rain snuff it out. They flinched when an ice wall appeared on each side of them. Now Danny had them cornered. All he had to do was trap them in the thermos. He redesigned the Fenton thermos to be sleeker and easier to conceal. It color scheme mainly consisted of neon green and charcoal grey.

 

In an act of desperation the ghost flung a ball of green flames at him, effectively knocking him back two feet. The attack hit him straight in the chest where his heart - his core - was. It burned. Danny felt his body temperature decrease as a blinding rage over took him. That ghost had no idea what they had just done. All his rational was throw out the door, he as angry and not the normal kind of angry, he was livid. Pissing him off would be the very _last_ thing this ghost ever did. No self-respecting ghost dared to attack another ghost’s core, lest they enrage their foe.

 

A long forgotten hunger clawed at his stomach causing a pain he had not felt in soon long. He was no longer fighting. He was hunting. And his opponent was now his prey. Lightning crashed above them, lighting up the dark cloudy sky as rain pelted the ground below with more ferocity than before. A feral growl rose from Danny’s throat, his lips pulled back as he bared unnaturally sharp teeth, his prey backing away in terror. The nails on his hands slowly blackening, elongating as they magically changed color. He chucked the thermos to the side. There was _no way_ in hell that he was going to let _his prey_ run away.

 

“N-n-no! Y-you’re o-one of th-those cannibals!” His prey shouted fearfully, attempting to scramble away from Danny but was forced to stop at the river’s edge. “This wasn’t in the job description!” Danny crept forward, successfully dodging a sloppy punch from his cornered prey. He wasn’t thinking straight, then again, no ghost that just had most sacred part of their being attacked would.

 

“P-please! No, I-I was h-hired. I-I’m sorry!” the ghost desperately pleaded, as Danny stalked toward them.

 

He lunged at his prey, knocking them both to the ground, using his arms and legs to pin his prey against the river’s edge. If the ghost even tried to escape they would end up in the river. Where they would most likely die if they fell in. All that was going through Danny’s head were thoughts on how to end his agonizing hunger. His deadly sharp fangs sank into his prey’s neck as they unleashed a blood curdling scream. He held his teeth firmly in place as they thrashed and attempted to pry him off.

 

Danny patiently waited for the shrieks of pain and desperate cries for help to cease. Eventually, his prey stopped their futile struggle and went limp below him, a puddle of ectoplasm formed on the ground. A final choked sob could be heard as the life drained from the ghost. After Danny was certain the ghost was deceased he preceded to rip out its throat, swallowing the hunk of ghostly flesh in one bite. Ectoplasm gushed out of the wound, spraying all over his clothes and face.

 

The ghost’s chest in particular caught his attention. Danny thrust his disturbing long black nails into the corpse, even more ectoplasm spurting out as he did it. When he found the object of his attention he yanked it out, the ghost’s core. His clawed hand held a glowing red orb, similar in appearance to a miniature sun. The core was hot to the touch but that did not stop him from cramming it in his mouth. His eyes widened slightly. It tasted better than anything he had ever eaten before. He swallowed it whole before ravenously tearing into the spectral flesh and devouring the corpse.   

 

When his hunger was satisfied he blacked out, slumping on top of the maimed ghost corpse. The corpse could barely be identified as anything other than the victim of a brutal murder. Its chest was torn open, ectoplasm turning the river bright green. Remains of the unidentifiable creatures limbs strewn about the grassy riverside, reminiscent of that of a horror movie scene.

 

The cloaked figure that appeared in his room faded into view by the horrific scene. He surveyed the area before his eyes landed on the injured halfa. The boy was coated head to toe in glowing green ectoplasm. The cloaked figure couldn’t tell how much came from the boy’s wounds or the slowly vanishing ghost corpse.  “God, Clocky, what have you gotten yourself into.” The ghost whispered in shock. “You could have warned me that my nephew was also a cannibal.”

 

The figure slowly made his way across the bloody riverside to his ‘nephew’. Once there he gently lifted the boy into his arms, trying not to jostle him too much. He then whisked the halfa away to where the boy currently dwells. So he could take care of Danny's wounds. And clean up the terrible mess without the child in his way. 

* * *

 

 

**Chapter Seven**

 

Three days had passed since the incident by Fox River, a lot more hired ghosts had appeared after the fire ghost. Danny was exhausted. Fighting those assassins day and night was really starting to stress him out. Most of them had a fire core so who ever wanted him dead was trying to exploit his ice core’s weakness. He had no luck figuring out who had hire them. Threats and the fact he killed one of them were not enough to get them to speak. In the end he would just suck them into a thermos and throw them back into the Ghost Zone, preferably as far away from Vlad’s portal as possible. Sometimes he let them free around Walker’s haunt so the warden would harass them. It proved to be a great way to buy some time until they returned.

 

Danny had no idea what to make of the events that took place on that stormy night in Appleton. When he woke up after his episode he was in bed, his wounds were dressed, and he was no longer painted green with ghost blood. He knew some ghosts were cannibalistic, hell, his ghost ‘friends’ even warned him to not get within a hundred miles of them. Apparently he was one of those abominations, something he would have never guessed in a million year. God, was this why all of the ghosts in the future were so terrified of Dan?! They were fearing for their lives because he was a cannibal. Would they be equally as frightened if they discovered he is a cannibal?

 

Danny should have gone to talk to Clockwork, but he was afraid of what his ghost father would think of him. He would have talked to Vlad, but unfortunately the old fruit-loop had yet to return from his abrupt trip. Worry for the older halfa clawed at his heart. Vlad said he would be back in three days but he had not returned, and Danny knew he always made a point on being punctual. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking of all the horrible scenarios the fruit-loop could have gotten stuck in. Something had to of happened to Vlad for him to not call to inform Danny of any changes in his schedule. Danny wanted to go search for him, but the cursed secretive halfa never said where he was going.

 

After everything that transpired in the past days Danny really needed a break and to take some time to relax. Today he was going to visit Cujo, it had been quite some time since he last saw the grown up green ghost dog. Danny could have planned to visit his other spectral ‘friends’ but he did not feel like he could face his ghost ‘friends’ after what happened three days ago. At least Cujo wouldn’t judge him, after all the ghost dog was technically a cannibal too, he hunted other animal ghosts.

 

When he last saw the adorable green dog he was courting a beautiful black ghost wolf, before he meet her Danny never knew ghost wolves came in more colors than white and green. Cujo was absolutely head over heels in love with her. Danny named her Fajro. He got tired of not having anything to call her, and it wasn’t like she could tell him her name anyways. Plus she seemed to approve of the name. Hopefully they have been doing well. Danny prayed Cujo didn’t get his heart broken. Love was a pain in the ass sometimes.

 

Right now, Danny was standing alone in the mansion’s absurdly large kitchen. The only reason he was in there was to try to find some clue about where Vlad went. True to his word, Vlad had left a thousand dollars on the marble counter. The absurd amount of money sat on the counter, untouched. What on earth did Vlad think he was going to do with all that money? It wasn’t like he could walk around town and spend it without a bunch of people asking for his autograph. Danny had not eaten since the incident and he did not plan on eating any time soon. Just looking at food made him feel sick to his stomach. Even being in the same room as food was starting to make him feel queasy.

 

He began his journey to Vlad’s hidden lab, teleporting would have been easier than walking but he did not want to waste his energy. The faster he got to the Ghost Zone the less likely he was to get jumped by another ghost out for his blood/ectoplasm. In the lab Spooky was sleeping in her cage. He quietly crept towards the portal. Waking up Spooky would have terrible consequences. She was downright horrifying when she was tired. All the ghosts Danny was fighting kept managing to wake her up, leaving Spooky as sleep deprived as himself. Danny wished, well, not wished since that was a dangerous thing to do. There was no telling if Desiree was lurking somewhere nearby. He wished he knew who the hell he pissed off enough to send a group of assassins after him.   

 

Danny stepped through the portal. Since he wasn’t in his ghost form yet he plummeted downward. Free falling through the green void of the Ghost Zone. He was even having fun, twirling through the air, laughing for the first time in a while.  Of course that all ended when he noticed he was quickly approaching a door. “Fuck!” he cursed, smacking straight into the flouting purple object. Danny quickly transformed before he could face plant on another door.

 

“Even the _FUCKING DOORS_ are out to get me now!” Danny yelled, throwing his arms up in exasperation. What was up with his luck recently?! Why did all of this fucking bullshit have to happen to him?! An angry growl escaped his throat. Unknown to him, his teeth began to sharpen along with his darkening finger nails. The neon green of his eyes began to shift to a more toxic looking shade. “Let me guess! You’re secretly an assassin in disguise!” he snarled, pointing an accusatory finger at the purple door. “And now I’m arguing with inanimate objects. Great!”

 

As Danny aggressively pointed he realized his hand didn’t look quite right. His nails were twice their normal length and still growing. They also appeared to be getting dark by the second. He raised an eyebrow as he inspected his hand. It didn’t take long before the expression on his face was replaced with one of pure fear. The color drained from his face, his eyebrows raised and pulled together. “Okay, Danny. C-calm d-down.” Danny nervously stuttered to himself, trembling ever so slightly. “Your nails t-totally _aren’t_ turning b-black and getting longer.” Breath quickening as panic began to set in. Trembling transforming into uncontrollable shaking.  

 

He was becoming a _monster_! And there was _absolutely nothing_ he could do other than watch in horror. Thoughts of three days ago plaguing his mind. Mocking him. Reminding him of what he has become. Make him question whether or not the GIW was right about him. Right about him being a threat. Before his thoughts could continue a blur caught his attention. A bundle of fur slammed into this chest. _“Cujo.”_ Danny thought, clinging on to the creature like a life line. The ghost dog did make his lair close to Vlad’s portal so he could visit Danny more often.

 

In his current state he failed to notice the dog in his arms was far small than the friend he was thinking of. Curling up into a ball and holding the dog as close to him as possible, leaving them awkwardly floating in the Ghost Zone. Cujo didn’t appear to mind Danny’s death grip on him, in fact he gave the boy a comforting lick. His eyes squeezed shut as he nuzzled into his furry friend’s fur. It seemed fluffier than usual. Cujo was always there for Danny when he need him. Despite his valiant effort he couldn’t fight back a tiny sniffle. As time passed his breathing slowly returned to its normal pace, his hands and eyes changed back to their usual appearance. Even then Danny still held the dog close to his chest, his face buried in the dog’s fur.  

 

He felt like a child. A small humorless laugh brushed past his lips. Everything had been so much easier two years ago when he was fourteen. When he didn’t have ghost powers. Maybe he should just go get lost in the ever expanding Ghost Zone. Becoming lost forever did not sound have bad right now. Danny would not need to deal with all the assassins, GIW agents, criminals, and ghosts. He could run free and never look back… But he knew he could never go through with that plan. Clockwork, Dani, Jazz, Cujo, Dora, Pandora, Wulf, Frostbite, and Vlad would miss him if he left. They would have no idea if he was dead, well, more dead than his is already, or alive. It would be unfair to make them go through that. So Danny would stay… for now.

 

“Thanks Cujo.” Danny whispered, tightly holding on to the dog in his arms. He opened his eye and saw that the dog in his arms was definitely not Cujo. First of all, the dog was a puppy. “Oh, wait, you’re a different ghost dog. My mistake” He said in shock, as he took a good look at the puppy. They did have similar characteristics to Cujo but were also quite different. The puppy’s fur was dark grey and charcoal grey, pointy ears sat atop their head, their fur was fluffier and slightly longer than the green dog’s. Red eyes stared into his neon green. “Thanks for helping me anyways.” He uncurled and released his grip on the puppy.

 

“Do you want me to follow you?” Danny inquired, as the puppy excitedly circled him. “Lead the way, boy.” With that said the ghost dog took off only stopping for Danny to catch up with him. The little puppy needed a name. Danny could not call him Boy forever. Well, he could but it would be a terrible name for the dog. “Hmm. You need a name. How about Tondro?” he said, the little puppy’s ears perking at the sound of the name. “Well, what do you think?” The newly named Tondro flew around him, barking happily. The act elicited a chuckle from the depressed halfa. How did ghost dogs always find a way to cheer him up?

* * *

 

 

**Chapter Eight**

 

Barely five minutes past after Vlad stepped through the portal before a distinct ring tone emanated from his pant pocket. _“Why now?!”_ He thought to himself. The human who managed to get Vlad to consider him a friend had terrible timing. Tom Silver had a magical way of always knowing when exactly Vlad did not want to be bothered. He waited for Daniel to be far enough away for his excellent hearing to not pick up on Vlad’s conversation. The boy continued slowly flouting through the Ghost Zone unaware he was no longer being followed. “This better be important!” Vlad growled into the phone, after confirming Daniel wouldn’t hear him. He heard a light chuckle from the other end.

 

“Oh, it’s nice to hear from you too. I’m doing great! Thanks for asking.” Tom sarcastically remarked. At least Vlad thought it was sarcasm. With Tom it was almost impossible to tell when the man was being sarcastic or just speaking normally. Even after all these years Vlad still couldn’t tell the difference. “Is this important or not?!” Vlad snapped, an irritated scowl on his face.

 

“Oh, I would say this is important alright. The results came back exactly how you predicted they would. Looks like you were right.” Tom said, ignoring Vlad’s attitude. Vlad never got along well with humans, but somehow Tom ignored everything about him humans usually hate. And easily manages to make him apologize. “I apologize for my rude behavior. Thank you for informing me.” Vlad said, sincerely. He glanced in Daniel’s direction. The boy appeared to have noticed Vlad’s absence and was now waiting on a purple staircase, quietly fiddling with his shoelaces. “Figured the ‘ _oh so mighty Vladimir_ ’ would like to know.” Tom said, his naturally sarcastic sounding voice as clear as day. “Anyways, looks like the kid died on the streets some time ago. I e-mailed you the address of his grave in case you want to check it out.” 

 

“I suggest you stop by soon. Looks like some people want to move his body to make space for corpses they think are more important. Well, see you later.” Tom stated before hanging up. The man was always in such a hurry, incapable of waiting for anyone to say ‘goodbye’ before rushing off. A long time ago Vlad learned to not take his antics personally. He flew over to the staircase Daniel made himself comfortable on. As soon as he got close the boy jumped up.

 

“Ready to go now?” Daniel inquired, excitedly. Vlad didn’t want to leave Daniel alone, especially on today of all days, but he needed to inspect that grave and its contents before they were gone forever. “I am sorry, Daniel. It seems something important has come up and I must leave immediately.” Vlad said, a hint of remorse crept into his voice. Daniel immediately deflated, shoulders drooping, his head faced toward the void below. It broke Vlad’s heart to see the look of sheer disappointment on the boy’s face. “Oh, okay…” Daniel said, voice barely above a whisper.

 

“I will make it up to you when I return. Goodbye, Daniel.” Vlad said, wrapping his arms around the other in an awkward attempt at a hug. Spending years alone affected his ability to show affection in a non-awkward way. “Be safe.” Danny mumbled into his shoulder.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Later that day_

Leave a note for Daniel. Check. Leave plenty of money on the counter. Check. Vlad doubted Daniel would need it but he wanted to put it there on the off chance Daniel needed it later. Pack everything he needs for a couple of days in a suitcase. Check. Obtain location of grave. Check. All he needed to do now was hop in his private jet and head for New York City.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Also later that day_

Vlad was currently on his jet headed to New York City. He was grateful he did not need to worry about any obnoxious passengers. Part of him was still shocked his random intuition had in fact been correct. Vlad hated the fact he had to leave Daniel alone on his death day. Hopefully he would find the note on his nightstand. Would Daniel heed his advice to have his bodyguard accompany him out? Would he eat properly while Vlad was gone? Would he stay out of trouble? Vlad couldn’t help but worry about these things. When did he get so over protective? It must have started when Daniel became more like a son to him.

 

Vlad had always imagined that it would be the best day of his life when the boy disowned his father. But it wasn’t. Daniel had been so scared. Not just of Jack, but Maddie as well. His little badger truly feared for his life. Vlad could hardly believe the boy when he arrived at his Amity Park mansion hysterical. He was drenched in sweat, tears streaming down his heartbroken face, barely able to articulate. It took an hour before Daniel was even able to speak properly.

 

Unfortunately it wasn’t long after that the two damned ghost hunters knocked on his door. They demanded he relinquish Daniel so they could take him back home for questionable reasons. At that point Vlad slammed the door right in their faces and went to comfort Daniel. He wished he had noticed the change in the two sooner. His reminiscing was cut short when he nodded off on the plane.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Day One in New York_

New York was obnoxiously loud. How could anyone live with this level of noise pollution? He was in the highest part of the Dalv corp. office building and he could still hear people shouting on the streets below. The sheer volume of the noise was distracting him from the stack of paperwork in front of him. As much as he loathed needing to work before completing his real goal he knew it was for the best. There was no point in drawing unwanted attention to himself by visiting a grave for no apparent reason.  

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Day Two in New York_

Vlad was on his way back to his hotel room after work. The sun had set hours ago. Some idiot he hired managed to mess up an important document so he had to stay late and fix the fool’s mistake. The brick wall he was walking past was covered in graffiti. One piece of the hooligan street art caught his attention, a large portion of hideous artworks were hidden by it. A bright blue starry night sky spanned over a majority of the wall. The work of art even contained accurate constellations. It reminded Vlad of Daniel. Vlad missed him, and the strange conversations they would have late at night. He should bring the boy here sometime and show him the magnificent piece of street art. Daniel would love it.   

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Day Three in New York_

After work he discretely made his way to his destination under the cover of night. A tall metal fence surrounded the area, the entrance wide open, graves of all shapes and sizes lined up in rows. Vlad walked through the cemetery until he found the true reason he traveled to New York City.

 

In front of him was an unmarked, unkempt grave. The name of its owner faded away, forever lost. But Vlad was positive it belonged to the person he was looking into. Before he could inspect the grave further he heard a distinct bang and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Vlad collapsed on the ground clutching his wound, blood and ectoplasm oozing from a gaping hole in his right shoulder. He was roughly yanked up and meet with the sight of the people he detested, the Guys In White. _“I should have exterminated these imbeciles when I had the chance.”_ Vlad thought, sneering at them.

 

“Well look at what we have here, a ghost masquerading as a human. Just like that pathetic ghost boy.” One agent mocked, slamming Vlad’s face into the ground. His nose bent in an odd direction, ghostly and human blood gushing out. “What should we do with it?” How on earth had they discovered his secret?! No one except Daniel knew and they both shared a mutual hatred for the GIW. Unless it was a ghost who ratted him out to these idiots. But why on earth would a ghost do that? “What do you want with me?” Vlad choked out, only to have his face smashed into the ground again in response. It was at that point he passed out from blood lose and possibly a concussion.          

* * *

 

 

**Chapter Nine**

 

Tondro was quick. Danny struggled to keep up with the little ghost puppy. They had traveled so much distance he didn’t even know which part of the Ghost Zone they were in. None of the land marks looked familiar. Danny’s adventures most likely never gave him a reason to come this deep into the Ghost Zone. Islands were sparsely scattered around the area, many of which were adorned by thick green forests made of oak trees. There was a distinct lack of purple doors, staircases, and random flouting structures in the area. Tondro appeared to be leading him to the biggest island in this part of the Ghost Zone.

 

It was big, possibly larger than the entire Far Frozen. Unlike the smaller surrounding island this one was covered with tall blue tinted pine trees. An enormous icy mountain raised high into the green void above it. The mountain was barren aside from the occasional tree awkwardly perch on the sheer mountainside. It was definitely an island Danny wouldn’t mind living on. When he was fully human he hated the cold but now he relished its presence. The cold made him feel safe and comfortable. Every ghost felt protected around their element, mainly due to the advantages they have against attackers.    

 

Honestly, Danny didn’t feel too well after what he assumed was a panic attack. He was grateful Tondro managed to calm him down, though the embarrassment of mistaking Tondro for Cujo had yet to fade. The similarity between the two pointed in the direction of Tondro being Cujo’s son. Tondro has Cujo’s bulky body type and hints of Fajro’s wild wolf like features. It warmed his heart to think the little green pup has grown into such a fine ghost dog. Fajro was a perfect match for the hyperactive hound. She and Cujo balanced each other. They were like yin and yang. Too bad he couldn’t obtain such a balance with Sam. Perhaps it was impossible for halfas like him and Vlad to have a healthy relationships with humans. Or maybe Danny just hadn’t met the right people yet.

 

Far in front of Danny Tondro screeched to a halt on the island, dirt kicked off the ground forming a small dust trail in the air. The ghost dog was gracious enough to flop down on the ground and wait for him. When Danny finally reached the island he found himself winded. It was strange how flying somehow left him out of breath. Then again, flying is the ghost equivalent of walking so it kind of made sense. He quickly descended onto the edge of the island. A couple of feet from him was the edge of the forest. The pine trees were quite intimidating up close, they looked so much smaller when he had been far away. They stood at an impressive height of seventy feet. 

 

After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, Danny followed the hyper puppy deeper into the eerie woods. It was quite, a side from the sound of dirt and snow crunching under his feet. Somehow Tondro moved about without making a single sound. The lack of noise was unnerving. The entire forest was still. No bird calls rang throughout the trees, the insects were soundless, not even the trees or any other plant life rustled in the bone chilling breeze. To think he once thought Skulker’s island was creepy, at least that island wasn’t dead silent. This island was so quiet it almost had the same sensation of being in the eye of a storm. 

 

Danny started when the loud thumps of a large running animal began to get closer to them. To his surprise, the sudden sound of noise paw steps did not put Tondro on guard. The pup almost looked excited, tail wagging so fast it could break the sound barrier. And as expected a massive green dog threw Danny to the ground, pinning him down with one giant paw. The dog hovering over him was none other than Cujo. _“The ghost apple doesn’t fall far from the undead tree.”_ He could never figure out why the dog seemed to always need to barrel in to him. Too bad his son inherited that terrible habit.

 

Cujo had grown a lot since Danny last saw him. The majestic green beast towering over him was slightly smaller than the form puppy Cujo transformed into when he was provoked. Cujo looked equally as intimidating too. As Cujo got older his angry form became more terrifying then some of the creatures in Pandora’s Box. His claws became sharper and eyes went from a normal red to blood red. Fajro was the opposite of Cujo. She was smaller than your average ghost wolf. Regardless of her size, she was more than capable of holding her own in a fight. She strode around wherever she was like she owned the place. Long fiery charcoal fur hung off her slender frame, her midnight blue eyes sharp enough to make even Pariah Dark cower before her.   

 

Before Danny was freed from Cujo’s mighty grip, the ghost dog licked his face causing him to gag. “Ew!” Danny exclaimed in disgust, wiping his slobber covered face on his coat’s sleeve. He shot the ghost dog a annoyed look as he pulled himself off the ground, using his hands to brush the spectral snow off his clothes once he was standing upright. Cujo ignored the look Danny was giving him in favor of running off into the woods with his son right behind him. Danny sighed, dashing after the energetic ghost dogs.

 

Eventually the two dogs slowed down enough for Danny to jog beside them. He was enjoying a leisurely stroll with them, occasionally stopping to take in the silent forests scenery. Everything was going great until he saw the bloody injured form of Fajro pulling herself off the snowy ground. Cujo rushed over and helped her up, Tondro wasn’t too far behind. “Fajro! What happened?!” Danny cried, sprinting up to the she wolf and inspecting her injuries. Deep bloody claw marks stretched across her back left leg, shallow scratches littered her face, and a large gash dribbling large amounts of ectoplasm laid on her chest. Who or what did this?! Fajro didn’t deserve this. She was the best ghost wolf Danny has ever met. She was nice and refrained from attacking everything that moved, unlike other ghost wolves. Now a days Danny did kind of wish that green and white ghost wolf had killed Sam. He knew it was a terrible thought, but he couldn’t seem to get rid of the heartache and pain she has caused him. Ghosts did have issues with grudges. So now he was a cannibal and spiteful. What next, will he become a fairy unicorn ghost?

 

“Murdisto has invaded our territory and stolen our pups. He used my core’s weakness against me. I was too weakened to chase after him.” Danny froze, eyes widening, his hand hovering over Fajro’s wounded leg. Who said that? The voice was distinctly female and there was only one woman in the forest with him. Danny slowly raised his head and looked Fajro dead in the eyes. “Did you just speak?” he cautiously asked, half expecting an answer and half expecting being completely insane. Honestly, with all the bullshit going on in his life he was more inclined to believe the latter. The injured wolf gave him a calculating look, Danny suppressed a shiver as she gazed at him. Tondro barked something at her.

 

“Hmm, how intriguing. So the young halfa pup has finally eaten his first kill. That would explain why you can now understand our language.” Fajro said, her voice like velvet. It carried an odd dignified tone he would have never expected a wolf to have. Danny gaped at her, blinking owlishly. _“Fajro can speak. She can actually speak.”_ Danny thought. Why could he understand her now? What did his brutal murder of that fire ghost have to do with this? “Language?” He repeated the last word, a hint of curiosity in his voice. They have a language? Fajro cocked her head, squinting at him in a confused fashion. Was his question really that weird?

 

“What, did you thing cannibals were incapable of speech? We need some way to communicate with each other.” Fajro stated as if it was common knowledge. It was definitely not something he was familiar with. His ghost ‘friends’ had lead him to believe cannibals were senseless, insane creatures. But Danny wasn’t crazy, at least he thought he wasn’t. Suddenly talking to ghost animals could be considered a sign of an unstable mental state. Man, Jazz would have a field day with him right now. Psychology had always been her area of expertise. Maybe he should give her a call soon, just to make sure he wasn’t losing his mind. 

 

Danny glanced to the giant dog next to them, the worried expression on Cujo’s muzzle broke his heart. The poor ghost hound must be unbearably concerned for his children’s safety. Whoever this ‘Murdisto’ was they were soon going to regret their decision. And Danny was going to make sure they never bothered Cujo’s family again. A sudden thought occurred to him and he couldn’t help voicing it. “What about Cujo and Tondro? They haven’t said anything.” Danny focused his gaze on the father and son. Tondro was wandering around in a circle, occasional tilting his head up ward to sniff the air. “My beloved is a ghost hound of few words. As for the pup - Tondro as you call him - is too young to speak our complex language. The most he can manage is the language of ghost hounds.” Fajro replied, slowly sinking to the ground with Cujo supporting her.   

 

Danny soon found himself siting more or less comfortably on the snowy ground alongside Cujo. A person could only bend over for so long before their back starts to hurt. This whole time she actually could have told him her name. “You know I was never able to ask you for your name before. Wha-” Danny began but was interrupted by Fajro before he could finish. She had a certain sparkle in her eyes and a gentle smile Danny had never witnessed before. “The name Fajro suits me just fine. I quite like it so you may continue referring to me as Fajro.” Fajro said. “Plus, we have far more important matters to discuss, like the retrieval of me and Cujo’s pups.”

 

“So who is Murdisto? And why did he steal your children?” Danny inquired, Fajro made a distasteful huff when he spoke the culprit’s name. Tondro wandered over and snuggled into Danny’s lap. “Murdisto is a jealous old hound who refuses to acknowledge the fact that I am uninterested in having a life with him. My beloved has already battled him numerous times to prove he is worthy of my affections. Even if Cujo had lost those fights I would have chosen to spend the rest of my life with him.” Fajro explained. “As for why he stole our children, I have no idea. It is possible he plans to kill them.”

 

“Any idea where he might have taken them?” Danny asked, Fajro hummed thoughtfully. Wherever that dastard went Danny would find him. There was no why in the afterlife he would allow Cujo and Fajro’s children to be killed by some creep who couldn’t take a hint. “I would suggest checking the glade on the other side of the mountain. That is where we first meet.” Fajro answered after a moment, picking nervously at the snow with one paw. Danny made a silent vow to save the puppies as quickly as possible.

* * *

 

**Chapter Ten**

 

Ghostly blue pine trees stretched out far beyond what the eye can see. Danny begun his trek to the clearing Fajro told him about as quickly as possible. This was a time sensitive quest, and he could not afford to goof off. Every second spent standing – or flouting, in his case – around was a second wasted. The icy chill nipping at his ghostly flesh gave him a sense of comfort, soothing his nerves. This trip was meant to rid him of his stress but instead Danny is even more stressed than before. Part of him contemplated screaming at the sky – Well, the direction of the sky since the Ghost Zone does not have a sky.

 

Either way, yelling at the gods like in a cliché scene of movie would accomplish nothing. He passed by the scenery in a blur, not slowing down for any reason. While a more experienced tactician might refrain from wasting so much energy, Danny was not going to risk getting there too late. It’s not like there were any noteworthy scenery in the forest any ways. All the trees looked exactly the same. So far a rock had been the most exciting thing he had seen during his flight.

 

The forest was as void of supernatural life as it seemed when he arrived. No spectral animals frolicked in the snow. No ghastly bugs chirped irritating tunes. Danny has been flying for quite a while and not even a shapeless ghost blob had made an appearance. The lack of life added to his discomfort. But regardless of how Danny felt, he would help Fajro and Cujo by saving their puppies.

 

Danny allowed himself a moment to think back to before he left the worried mother and father, including the confused and scared Tondro. The poor puppy did not know what to make of the situation. Cujo looked so distraught at the prospect of never seeing his children again. To think the normally happy dog couldn’t even find comfort by his wife’s side during this unfortunate event. Fajro was trying to stay strong, but Danny could tell she was grieving more than Cujo. She truly believed her children could already be dead, while Cujo hoped they were alive.

 

There was no way in hell that _beast_ would escape that glade alive after threatening the lives of innocent puppies. The lives of his dear friends’ children no less. His battle with Murdisto would be a fight to the death! Or a fight to the permanent death… Hopefully, there is no second afterlife. Regardless, that bastard would be dead by the end of the day. When did he become so violent? Honestly, Danny has no idea.

 

Through the thinning tree branches Danny could see the forest clearing in the distance. Not wanting to waste any more valuable time, he sped up, despite his aching body’s protest. Is he exhausted? Yes. Will he let that stand between him and saving Cujo’s children? Hell no! As quick as, if not faster than, a cheetah, he broke through the trees. The glade was small, undecorated by anything other than snow and the paw prints of his enemy.

 

Danny immediately spotted the soon to be permanently dead spectral wolf. A beast half the size of Cujo with thick dark green fur coating its body stood at the edge of the clearing. Signs of its scuffle with Fajro were still present in the form of drying neon green ectoplasm and shallow gashes made by claws and fangs.

 

The monster’s back was turn, and it showed no signs of realizing it had company. Naturally, the enraged halfa took advantage of the situation and fired a ghost ray at the unsuspecting ghost. The glowing green ball of ecto-energy hit the beast right in the middle of its back, rewarding Danny with a yelp of pain and surprise. He had put so much force into the blow that the beast went stumbling forward. A patch of slightly bloody, seared fur remained at the area of impact. Wisps of green smoke rose from the injury and ascended into the air.

 

Sure, that wasn’t a very honorable attack but he had no time for boring monologues or banter. Danny fully intended to take this battle seriously. He would use every attack in his arsenal, even the dirty ones. The monster whirled around to face Danny, revealing its hideous face. A large gnarly scar adorned the left side of its face and ran right through an ugly deformed eye. The misshapen eye no longer held any color, or pupil, or anything that makes an eye look like an eye. It was just an ominous white sphere that sent a chill down Danny’s spine. The worst part is he couldn’t tell if it was looking at him.

 

Both ears appeared to be horribly torn, likely from a battle years ago. Danny briefly wondered if the monstrous hound could hear. Considering how much trouble Fajro has had informing the beast she has no interest in him, Danny was pretty sure words went in through one ear and right out the other. Either that or this wolf has major problems accepting reality and not some deluded fantasy. Honestly, this creep was even worse than Vlad. At least Vlad knew when to back off and has some sense of decency.

 

By far, the monster’s worst feature was the missing chunk of flesh from its chest and part of its neck. It was a horrifying, but thankfully, healed wound that look as though a vicious ghost inflicted the injury when attempting to bite the wolf’s head off. Danny almost gagged at the sight of it. The way veins popped out and pulsed was more than a little disturbing. It definitely made Danny wish he had a fire core so he could burn the monstrosity before him into a pile of ash. Based on the nasty glare he was on the receiving end of, Murdisto harbored a similar feeling for Danny.

 

Danny returned Murdisto’s glare with his own hate filled one, eyes glowing toxic green for dramatic effect. Very slowly, he flouted down to the ground. Snow softly crunching under his feet as he landed. The beast made no move. Merely gauging the threat level of his new foe with his good eye. Since Murdisto appeared reluctant to make the first move Danny did. He venomously spat one word, a name to be exact, as he approached the ghost, “Murdisto!”

 

 


	8. Little Bats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another unfinished Danny Phantom/Batman crossover.

Hidden deep within the depths of the Northern Alps is one of the worlds most dangerous women. A real live femme fatale (attractive and dangerous woman). One trained to be an assassin since her birth. This she-wolf stalks the treacherous terrain of Nanda Pardat, killing all those who stand in her way. Her many monikers strike unparalleled dread into her foes. When they see her approaching they scream “ _It’s the Daughter of the Demon!_ ” When a glimpse of her shadow is spotted they cry “ _Aibnat shaytan, tashaghil!_ ” [Google Translate: The Demon’s Daughter, Run!] She is _Talia al Ghul_. And she now faced one of her greatest challenges.

 

Talia prided herself in her strength and nobility - her ability to be unfazed by things that would scar a common man/woman for life. Yet, somehow, seeing the two tiny bundles the midwives presented her shook her very being. Two babies swaddled in the finest silk cloth slept in the arms of her loyal aids. Talia struggled to contain her look of shock. The unexpected turn of events left her dumbfounded. Out of all the difficulties she prepared for - from miscarriage to rival assassins out to kill her during a moment of weakness - she failed to foresee the possibility of giving birth to _more than_ _one_ child. During the pregnancy, Talia assumed the extra kicks and weak punches meant her child would be strong… like their father. Oh, how wrong she was.

 

Now that odd feeling - woman’s intuition, some might say - she had suddenly made sense. The  feeling of terror at the thought of birthing her child in Nanda Parbat. Her desire to relocate to a place neither Ra’s al Ghul or another assassin could find her. It was all because she subconsciously knew her child’s birth would be far more complicated than previously predicted. But, of course, Talia had thought nothing of it at the time since the unnerving sense of apprehension vanished along with the chances of anyone locating her.

 

_How did things become so complicated?_ With a sigh, Talia inspected her two children. Both had already awoken from their slumber - thankfully, not crying. The twins were identical. At least that is what she thought, but upon further inspection Talia noticed distinct differences between them. Her eldest son - whom she dubbed ‘Damian’ - had far more of Bruce’s features than her own. Based on the few baby photos of her Beloved she has seen, it was quite clear Damian is almost an exact replica of Bruce. The only indication that he was indeed Talia’s son is his piercing emerald green eyes and slightly darker skin tone.

 

As for her youngest - now known as Daniel - he resembled her much more than his father. While the boy has Bruce’s icy blue eyes and pale white skin, his build is much like her own. Small. Delicate. Destined to become a beautiful killer as he grew older.

 

Talia has high hopes for each of her sons.

 

———

 

Over the past few weeks, Talia began to notice her youngest son - only by five minutes - was weaker than his older brother. Daniel constantly cried, was easily startled, and far too clingy for her liking. He definitely got that from _Bruce’s_ side of the family. No al Ghul would ever participate in such vulgar, pointless behavior. Regardless of his transgressions, Talia still cared for her son and his wellbeing… Which meant the life of an assassin was not for him.

 

She believed he could be a good assassin if he trained hard, but Daniel just didn’t have the personality for it. He spent hours sobbing his heart out because she killed a mere spider. A _spider_! An insignificant arachnid that could have _killed_ him with its venomous bite. Considering the pointed look Daniel gave her when they were in the same room, he had yet to forgive her for the justified murder of his potential murderer. It was not the greatest feeling to receive such a expression from her child - At least her son could properly hold a grudge.

 

Damian, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of his brother. Relatively quiet; difficult to sneak up on. Any _clinginess_ was solely reserved for Daniel. If they didn’t sleep in the same crib her eldest child would throw a fit - anyone who dared deprive him of his little brother would be assaulted with tiny fists. Needless to say, Talia was proud of her child’s ferocity. However… Talia held no form of affection for her siblings so Damian’s love for his brother was an utter mystery to her. A mystery and potential problem in the future. The sheer level of attachment was already a great complication.

 

An assassin’s way of life had no room for extreme familial affection - meaningless bonds that distract from the mission. Every day, they _fight_. They _kill_. And, eventually, they hold a sword to the throat of a loved one. Damian would never be able to do that to Daniel. Their love for each other was too strong. Their brotherly bond too powerful for anyone to even dream of turning them against each other. A future with them together was bleak. Impossible. Her father… Ra’s would no doubt want them to fight to the _death_ for the right to be his successor. And Talia refused to allow that future to come to pass.

 

One question remains: What will she do with her youngest child?


	9. Ruĝa Spirito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The original version of "Ruĝa Spirito."

**Chapter One**

Red Hood, aka Jason Todd, was not the kind of man who would follow an anonymous tip. But this tip in particular caught his attention. A dangerous government organization is experimenting on children, which was not something Red Hood could forgive. He vowed to put an end to it. Which is what lead him to the outskirts of what would have been Amity Park, Ohio. No one, not even Batman, could figure out what happened to the town. According to his sources, around this area was where he would find the infamous 'Guys In White'. Although Red Hood really doubted that is what 'GIW' stood for.

 

All that remains of the town is ruble, decrepit buildings, and cracked mossy pavement/asphalt. A new town was never build there because people claimed the place is cursed. Kids would go missing, people would mysteriously die of unknown causes, and buildings would burn down. Now he had solved part of a mystery Batman failed too. The 'GIW' would kidnap children, blue-eyed and black haired children to be exact. It was funny that they had the same preference as Batman. The only question he needs to answer now is why their doing it. What is their goal?

 

Their place of operation was easy enough to find. The stark white building stood out among the green of the landscape. Now Red Hood kind of understood why people called them the 'Guys In White'. These people, if they could even be referred to as people anymore, appeared to have an obsession with the color. Why they chose that one out of every color in the rainbow he would never know.

 

Their facility was laughably easy to infiltrate. No cameras, the password for every keypad is 'ghost', and they barely had any guards patrolling. It was like the 'GIW' had no security measures at all. The guards were so easy to shoot down too. Most of them wore a white suit, and the ones that did has some semblance of armor were just plain pathetic. They acted as though they never had proper combat training. They relied too heavily on the worthless guns they insisted on shooting him with. For some reason they kept shouting 'GHOST!' whenever they saw him.

 

Red Hood found it hilarious since in a way it is true. He is like a vengeful spirit wandering the land, plotting against his killer and the man who refused to avenge him. Apart from being a vigilante he did not have much of a life. Not anymore. Enjoying tea and reading a good book was the pinnacle of fun during his free time.

 

As of the moment Red Hood found himself crawling through an air vent. It is tight, he just barely managed to fit. His destination: the one room more heavily guarded then the rest. Something big is going on in there and he was going to find out what it is. He uncomfortably made his way through the space until he spotted an air vent cover in the side of the wall. When he reached it he could see into the room. The air vent he is currently residing in seemed to be on the left side of the room. It wasn't as stark white as the rest of the building. Red blood and a glowing green liquid coated the walls and floor.

 

White metal cabinets and tables lined the sides of the room. An examination table sat in the middle of the room. Then he saw _strike one_. There is a kid attached to the table, metal braces keeping him in place. No clothes covered the child, leaving a collection of terrifying scars and ugly untreated wounds visible. Not even he had that many scars. A muzzle is strapped tightly to his face. His hair is matted with dirt, blood, and the luminescent green substance, making it impossible to distinguish his hair color. His body is filthy too. Did they never give the kid a bath? Because it sure as hell looked like they didn't.

 

A few scientists filed into the room as Red Hood silently gazed from his hiding spot. They were all dressed in sheer white clothes. One picked up a knife that had been laid out on a table and approached the kid. There was no hesitation as he cuts into the kid's chest. How could they do such a horrible thing to a fourteen year old? Then again he was brutally beaten and blown up at that age. And people called thirteen the unlucky number.

 

_Strike Two_. The kid didn't even look like he was sedated and they were tearing right into his chest. The sharp knife penetrating the kid's skin causing him to thrash against his restraints, screams of pain muffled by the muzzle on his face. The worst part was it looked like this was not the first time the kid has experienced this. The knife followed the line of a Y-shaped scar. Man, had these guys ever met the Joker because this was just plain cruel and deranged. The bastards might even be more heartless than his mortal enemy. His killer. Red Hood has seen some sick and twisted things in his life. _This_. This scene right in front of him took the cake. The very disgusting bloody cake.

 

They did not seem to care how much the kid cried out in pain, how fat tears rolled down his cheeks, how he was losing enough blood to die of blood loss. A scientist wordlessly slapped the kids head to the side, promptly quieting the kid. _Strike three_. Their eyes met. The kid's dull eyes are an icy blue like the frozen tundra. Red Hood saw the pleading look in the kid's eyes, a look that screamed help me. _You're out_. Without another thought Red Hood bust out of the air vent, slipping gracefully in the room. The monsters in disguise startled. A growl ripped out of his throat, eyes narrowing behind his helmet. He is going to _save_ this kid. Before they had a chance to comprehend what just happened Red Hood shot them all dead, like their pitiful guards. The knife one of the scientist held clattered on the floor.

 

The kid is staring at him, wide eyed, shaking like a leaf. "Hey, kid. It's okay. I'm going to help you." Red Hood said reassuringly, eliciting a look of disbelief from the kid. So the kid has trust issues, great. The wound on the kid's chest gained his attention as blood seeped down the kid's sides. He needs to sew the kid back up and fast. Red Hood flung open cabinets, scattered various equipment on the floor, and did not find any sort of medical supplies required to patch up the kid. How could they _not_ have any medical supplies? Considering how pathetic they are at combat surely they would be patching themselves up all the time. He pulled a small med kit out of his leather jacket, never left home without it. Hopefully it would be enough to save the kid until he could treat his injuries properly.

 

The kid is still staring at him, as if trying to determine whether or not Red Hood is a threat. "Don't freak out. I'm going to patch you up." Red Hood said, making sure the kid knew what he was up to. After opening his small med kit he pulled out a needle and thread. Something told him if he let the kid out before he patched him up the kid would bolt. So he left the kid trapped on the table. It wasn't his best idea but the kid needed fixed up before anything else. The wound is ugly, red and green liquid pooled and flowed out of the unfinished Y shaped cut. Red Hood snatched a hypodermic needle attached to a syringe out of his med kit. It contained his strongest sedative. He only used it in dire situations. Stuff was strong enough to effect a meta human so if they fucked up the kid's genetics in any way it would still affect him.

 

A small whimper escaped the kid's mouth as Red Hood gentle held his arm, sticking the needle in and injecting the sedative into his veins. Not long after that the kid passed out. He quickly began sewing up the worst of the kid's wounds. An occasional whimper or whine came from the kid but other than that he didn't stir. When he finished he started fiddling with the locks keeping him from taking the kid and leaving this horrid place behind. A thought suddenly dawned on him. Where is he going to hide the brat? Talia is always willing to lend Jason a hand but he has already gotten Ra's pissed off at her enough. Where would the 'GIW' be too scared to step foot? Sadly, he knew that answer. A place he hates. A place with his killer and the person he loathes. Gotham.

 

No government agency dared set foot in the territory of Batman. Is the kid worth going back to his old stomping ground? He glance up from the lock to look at the kid. Dirty black hair covered the kid's face, his chest falling and raising at an even pace. Yes, the kid is totally worth it. "We haven't even gone on a first date and you've already stolen my heart." Red Hood joked. Finally, a distinct click came from the lock. "One down, three more to go." He sighed. This kid is definitely going to make his life interesting.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

 

As soon as Red Hood got all the restraints off the kid he got them both the fuck out of that little slice of hell. He didn't care if any other kids got left behind. It was only a matter of time until the 'GIW' realized one of their facilities was breached. Talia could handle getting rid of the 'GIW'. She would probably love the good publicity it would give her. Of course he would have her leave the organization's boss to him. If it wasn't on his bucket list before, punching the sadistic bastard in charge of this right in the face is now.

 

As of now, he and the kid are riding in an old truck he high jacked. His motorcycle migrated to a very deep crack in the ground, and was crushed to smithereens by a collapsing building the moment he laid eyes on it. A cruel cosmic joke he did not appreciate. The truck is shitty, the upholstery on the seats is long gone, red paint faded and rusted over. It isn't the nicest truck in the world but it would get them to their destination. It was a stroke of luck he even got the damn thing to start.

 

The kid looks slightly better than when they first meet. All of his injuries are bandaged and the kid is dead asleep. Honestly, if he didn't know any better he would think the kid was dead. The rise and fall of the kid's chest is so slow he could be in a coma. And Jason sure as hell hoped the kid wasn't in a coma. The prominent bags under the boy's eyes screamed sleep deprivation. His pasty white skin and stick like appearance showed how much effort Red Hood would need to put into nursing the kid back to health. Hell, he could count every one of the kid's ribs. And he really needs to give the kid a bath. With soap, a lot of soap. Maybe some industrial cleaner too. Red Hood never thought it was possible for someone to smell like death, even Morta would be offended by the kid's stench.

 

If only Alfred could give him some tips on nursing someone back to health, but he did not want to scare the old man to death. After all no one knew he is alive and he planned to keep it that way. It wasn't like he would be welcomed back to the manor any ways. Batman already replaced him with that fucking pipsqueak, Timothy Drake. Maybe he was foolish for hoping to actually have a real father, because Bruce is far from being a father to him. Jason was just a little soldier in Batman's fucked up war against crime. And then there is Dick. Jason doubted Dick would welcome him back with open arms. They never really had a good relationship, the man held a grudge against Jason for replacing him. The only person that would be happy to see him is Alfred. The man is far too good for Bruce. Alfred deserves to be more than a grown ass man's babysitter.

 

Every time he saw the kid shiver in the rear view mirror he wished he had more than a leather jacket to cover the kid with. The trip to his nearest safe house was quiet and unnerving. Red Hood checked, and double checked, to make sure the kid had no tracking devices on him. Although there were none to be found he still couldn't get rid of this nagging paranoia. After driving down a long curvy dirt road he spotted his safe house. It is a one story log cabin in the middle of nowhere surrounded by oak trees near a small lake. Talia arranged it for him, along with all his other safe house. Sometimes, she would drop by with her demon spawn. Red Hood didn't have anything against Damian, but he chose some of the worst times to hang out with Jason. At least the baby assassin loves him. Though he would probably never get the kid to admit it.

 

Yeah, Jason knew Bruce is Damian's _father_. But he could not bring himself to blame the little monster for his _father's_ mistakes. He would sooner watch hell freeze over than allow that poor excuse of a father anywhere near his baby brother. Bruce would put the kid in even more danger than Talia. Unlike Bruce, she truly cared about her children's safety. Batman would let Damian face monsters like the Joker on his own. Jason sure as hell isn't going to let the murderous baby bat fight the special kind of crazies Gotham is known for.

 

The truck came to a stop a few feet away from the building. Red Hood hopped out after pulling the key out of the ignition, opened the left back side door and carefully gathered the sleeping teen into his arms. He really hoped no one ever saw him carrying a mostly naked teen into his safe house. Roy is probably the last person he would want to witness this moment. The archer would never let him live it down. Damn, he had to get the kid clothes didn't he? The teen is small and malnourished so he could squeeze into Damian's clothes. Maybe Damian left some laying around. The kid always left his stuff in Jason's safe houses. Mainly childish things he didn't want Ra's to know he had, like the cuddly stuffed tiger that resided in this particular safe house.

 

Red Hood walked up to the wooden front door only to realize he had a problem. How the hell is he going to open the door with a severely injured teen in his arms? He really should have opened the door first and then grabbed the kid. Well, there is no door that can't be opened with a swift kick. It's not like this is the first time he has kicked down a safe house door anyways. And he can always fix it later. He slammed his boot into the door, the wood splintered and creaked from the force of his kick, and the door flew open.

 

The inside of the cabin has a homey feel to it, Talia helped with that. She insisted his safe houses should be a home away from home. At a time like this Jason is grateful for that. If she hadn't been so stubborn about it he would not have the tools required to help the kid. The living room is medium sized at best. A dingy old orange sofa sat against a wall with an old wooden coffee table in front of it. A few wooden book cases stuffed full of books are pushed up against a random wall. An old TV is perched atop an even older looking TV stand. Jason picked everything up at a thrift store. He would be lying if he said he did not buy old furniture to annoy Damian. The kid loathed his couch with a burning passion, mainly because of its offensive orange color. If asked he would never admit the sofa is comfiest thing he has ever sat on. They just don't make couches like they use to.

 

As Jason walked in, he nudged the light switch for the overhead light on with his shoulder. Stumbling around in the dark with an injured was a good way for them both to end up hurt. Well, for him to get hurt and the kid to get even more wounded than he already is. He carefully walked over to the orange monstrosity he calls couch and carefully laid the injured kid on it. If the kid is staying, he sure as he is going to get a bath. And considering the kid is still out like a light Jason would need to bathe him. First he needed to find clothes for the kid. Damian is bound to have left some fluffy baggy clothes somewhere. "Well, let's see if I can find the brat's clothes." Jason sighed.

 

Just as he began to make his way towards the bedrooms a shadow by the broken front door caught his attention. "Jason, I have arrived in search of refuge, and you door is broken. You should fix that before the local wildlife invades your safe house. " Damian stated, leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, in his League of Assassin garb. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

 

_Just as he began to make his way towards the bedrooms a shadow by the broken front door caught his attention. "Jason, I have arrived in search of refuge, and you door is broken. You should fix that before the local wildlife invades your safe house. " Damian stated, leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, in his League of Assassin garb. Speak of the devil and he shall appear._

 

Damian's usual scowl sat on his face. "Like you?" Jason deadpanned, Damian glared at him like he killed Goliath. Why couldn't the kid learn to lighten up? Jason will make him laugh one day, and it will be the most monumental moment in history. He reached up and pulled his red helmet off, revealing his black domino mask. He has been wearing it for so long he almost forgot he had it on. A smirk tugged at his lips, a smirk he knew Damian hated. "I am not wildlife, Jason. I am a trained assassin and far superior to all the insects you are allowing in the house. What on earth possessed you to ruin a perfectly good door?" Damian hissed, clearly not appreciating Jason's sense of humor.

 

Then again, no one appreciated his sense of humor. Apparently he makes 'too many' jokes revolving around his death and Pit madness. "At the time opening it would have been a pain in the ass." Jason replied, walking across the room before carelessly tossing the helmet on the coffee table. It landed with an audible thud. Good thing the kid is dead asleep or the noise might have woken him up. The teen probably need all the sleep he could get.

 

"Did you forget how to use the door handle? And here I thought you had more than enough brain cells intact to properly open a door. I suppose the Lazarus Pit can't fix everything." Damian sneered, uncrossing his arms and giving Jason a pointed stare.

 

Anyone who didn't know any better would assume the brat was picking a fight with them, but Jason knew it was just a façade Damian used to disguise his worry. And he had every right to be worried, Jason is known to bust down any door, even metal doors, in his path if he is heavily injured. Sure, Damian has a pretty fucked up way of showing his emotions but at least he cares. The League of Assassins wasn't big on teaching the next generation on how to properly express emotions. Actually, they weren't a fan of emotions in general. Being related to Bruce could also be a contributing factor to Damian's inability to process emotions properly.

 

Jason would help him if he was an emotional stable person - which his is not and might never be because of his god damn Pit madness – so the kid is on his own when it comes to learning about feeling and all that other bullshit. Emotions were more of Dick's forte than Jason's. While Jason has no intention of letting any of Batman's little fucking bird themed soldiers near Damian, or the yet to be named kid, Dick was the one who would mostly help in that department. The only thing Jason is good at when emotions are involved is beating the shit out of whatever pissed him off. The Pit madness didn't really help him control his emotions either. It was just best to beat the ever living hell out of something until his Pit rage died down. Though he refrained from doing that around Damian as much as possible. Jason could never live with himself if he accidentally hurt the little assassin during a bout of Pit rage. The guilt would eat him alive.

 

"Ever heard the saying 'If it ain't broken don't fix it'?" Jason asked, a hint of playfulness in his voice. Damian shot him a brief offended look as if he truly believed Jason doubted his knowledge before his usual scowl returned. It was so hard to tease the kid when he always took everything so seriously. But Damian is starting to understand the concept, so Jason will call that a win.

 

"Of course I have. I am well versed in all forms of literature and language, even pointless sayings." Damian huffed. The League of Assassins, they teach every form of language known to man but not the importance of emotional health. Because god forbid they have an emotionally stable assassin.

 

"Well, then don't try to fix me. I doubt you could even find the right screwdriver to screw in all my loose screws. I'll give you a hint. It's not a Flathead or a Philips." Jason joked, beckoning a seemingly disgruntled Damian into his safe house with a single wave of his hand. The boy sauntered in without any hesitation – Jason's safe houses were his safe houses too – once his eyes landed on the injured form on the couch he froze.

 

"You replaced me." Damian stated, staring at the unexpected guest in shock and betrayal. Well, fuck. Why did all the children related to Bruce in some fashion have abandonment issues? Hell, at this point they could form a club. The 'my parents were neglectful jack asses and I just want to be loved' club. Dick technically couldn't be a part of that club – his real parents actually loved and cared for him – but if he considered Bruce a parent then he could totally join.

 

The man hardly qualified as a good parent since the only way he knew how to deal with emotions was to throw on a costume and pummel criminals. Bruce is such a 'great' role model. Jason honestly had no idea if Dick even liked Bruce. They were constantly fighting when Jason was alive. Day and night they would scream at each other about how Bruce gave away the title Robin or other pointless thing Jason didn't care enough to remember.

 

"No, no, no!" Jason quickly rectified, a look of sheer panic spreading across his face. Damian looked damn near close to tears, or as close as he could get to looking like that. The kid was definitely not a book your average human could read. Luckily Jason is not your average person and has spent enough time with this book to know how to read every word. The stiffness of his posture, the slight glisten of tears in his eyes, and that damn near undetectable quiver of his lower lip was all Jason needed to see to know how devastated the kid really was. The demon might be an assassin but he is still a child.

 

"I picked him up from a government facility that is experimenting on children. He is in no way, shape, or form your replacement. Why would I ever find a monstrous little demon that could replace you? I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world. You will always come before my job as an antihero." Jason explained, his voice carrying a certain gentleness to it that always calmed Damian. He barely kept himself from saying 'I'm not Bruce/Batman' but he knew Damian would read in-between the lines. The kid was great at picking up unsaid words.

 

"I guess you got one thing from Wayne. You like to collect strays." Damian muttered, observing the injured male with a hardened gaze. Damian was essentially his first stray. Before Jason arrived he had no male role model to teach him right from wrong. When Jason finally got his thoughts in order he took on that role, which did effect their relationship. Sometimes Jason was the older brother Damian could rely on. Other times he is the father figure Damian can look up to or run to when he is scared. Jason could see how having a potential brother around might be intimidating to Damian. The demon brat has never needed to share Jason's affection with anyone. And Damian definitely is not the sharing type.

 

"I love you, baby demon." Jason said, pulling the emotional troubled boy into a hug. Surprisingly, the little demon let him. Normally the kid would put up some kind of fight against one of Jason's rare hugs. But this time the kid just leaned into it, hesitantly wrapped his arms around Jason's waist, and buried his face in Jason shirt. He must have really been scared. The hug would probably looked awkward to other people. Jason had grown a lot after he died and came back to life. He looked like a monster in comparison to Damian. The poor kid barely rose past his waist. "I value your existence as well." Damian said, his words are slightly muffled.

 

After a couple minutes of hugging Jason decided to break the silence. "So why are you here?" Jason said, using the same gentle tone as before. The kid usually stopped by for a reason. Damian slipped out of his hug, taking a few steps back so he could have some personal space.

 

"I do not wish to be within my cousin's presence." Damian grumbled. Jason couldn't blame the kid for wanting to be as far away from her as possible. She is a bitch.

 

"I see, I take it she is still a bitch. So is the demon bearer here or did you come here alone? Better yet, how did you know I would be here?" Jason questioned. It wasn't uncommon for Damian to drop by alone but he did have some things he wants to discuss with Talia. Specifically things about the 'GIW'.

 

"Your nicknames for mother keep getting more and more unoriginal." Damian said, before he frowned and sighed. "And no, I came here alone. Mother is busy with League of Assassins business. As for how I knew you would be at this safe house, I put a tracker in your leather jacket." So Talia is busy, that certainly put a damper on his plans. He would find a way to destroy the 'GIW' with or without her.

 

"Of course." Jason muttered in annoyance. Since when has he been running around with one of the brat's trackers on him? Sneaky bastard must have hid it really well if Jason never found it – no wonder he has been really paranoid about trackers recently – to think its been on one of his favorite articles of clothing for god knows how long.


	10. Scrapped Danny Phantom Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three short rough drafts of scrapped Danny Phantom stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup... This is what I decided to post. Dreadful rough drafts with all their grammatically incorrect glory!

**Fight to the Finish**

 

To say that Danny was upset would be an understatement. No words could describe the slew of emotions running through him. The few he could recognize were happiness, disappointment, and an odd mixture of relief and anger. How did his current emotional state come to pass? Well… It all started when he was declared a child by The Observants. Apparently, since Danny was a relatively new ghost - not even two years old in ghost years - that made him the equivalent of an infant.

 

So a grand tournament was held to decide who would become his guardian. Many ghosts - possibly all the residents of the Ghost Zone - participated in it, fighting to the metaphorical death for the right to watch over and train Danny. Needless to say, Danny was far from thrilled when the winner was announced. He didn’t even know how that ghost even managed to _win_. Sam and Tucker were equally as surprised when he told them. The trio sat on the floor of Danny’s bedroom discussing the matter.

 

“Wait a minute, _Klemper_ is your ghost guardian?! Klemper, as in the ghost that is always hugging people and asking for friends?” Sam questioned, skeptically.

 

Danny sighed, “Unfortunately…” Danny truly wished someone else won the tournament, but he was stuck with _Klemper_. He almost shuddered at the thought of spending an entire day with the ghost.

 

“Wow, dude… That sucks. But at least you didn’t get stuck with Skulker or Freak Show.” (Tucker)

 

“Yeah, I guess that’s the bright side to this situation.” (Danny)

 

“Come on, Danny. Give Klemper a chance. Maybe he will surprise you.” (Sam)

 

“I doubt it. All he does is hug people! H-he is like the _Box Ghost_ but has an obsession with hugs instead!” (Danny)

 

“Well, at least he doesn’t want to kill you or fight you all the time.” (Sam)

 

“So why didn’t Clockwork compete in the battle to become your guardian?” (Tucker)

 

“Something a long the lines of major council members not being allowed to care for ghost children.” (Danny)

 

“Hmm, if I didn’t know any better I would say The Observants don’t want you to become more overpowered than you already are.” (Sam)

 

“Yeah, dude, becoming Clockwork’s son would literally make you like a God or something!” (Tucker)

 

“And that would be a bad thing?” (Danny)

 

“After the Dan Phantom incident? Maybe.” (Sam)

 

“Wow, Sam. I can just feel the moral support oozing off you.” (Danny)

 

“ _Friend!_ ” (Klemper)

 

“S-see” (Danny)

 

“you guys… later.” (Danny)

 

 

* * *

 

**Heart of Ice**

_Snow_. Chilly frozen droplets of water that rain down from the heavens. Danny used to loathe the ice crystals. It was a constant reminder of a faded memory. A memory from years ago - an happy event he could hardly remember without the frigid touch of snowflakes. Why was that a bad thing? Well, Danny couldn’t fathom having any good memories associated with _Vlad_. The diabolical man would never be loving in any way, shape, or form. Which is why this particular memory always baffled him. How could the cold, calculated businessman have once shown _Danny_ more love than his own father? Things just didn’t add up. That is… until they did.

 

Danny gaped at the papers and letters hidden away in his _‘parents_ ’ room. Snooping/curiosity did not cause him to run across these sensitive documents. Pure dumb luck was the true culprit. Danny had been searching for his supposed-father’s suit, since the buffoon forgot to pack it before he and Maddie left for a ‘ _Ghost Wedding_.’ The contents of his discovery was earth shattering. According to these papers, everything thing he once thought to be true was, in fact, false. Danny’s life with the Fentons… His family… It was a mere collection of carefully crafted lies - a bunch of _fabricated_ ‘facts’.

 

All of a sudden, that memory held a special - not negative - place in his heart.

 

 

* * *

 

**Till Death Us Do Part**

Life and death. Two forces separate, unyielding - different parts of what used to be a single entity - yet, somehow, destined to rule together. The two omnipresent forces constantly clash, keeping the worlds fragile balance. Each fights for dominance over the other but neither can live without the other. Death - a being that has the power to snuff the life out of the strongest flame. Over the years, many names have been related to death. Anubis. Morta. Hades. Thanatos. And a plethora of more death deity names exist. However, in the modern era all other names have been forgotten, only one name embodies death: _Phantom_.

 

Life - a being that dedicates itself to protect the living creatures of the world. Like death, numerous monikers have been tied to this unstoppable force of nature, but a sole name remains. A name that has never once been associated with anything grander than a subpar report card: _Danny_ , or Daniel. Is this universe different from the normal, ghostly version? In some ways, yes. Does it take place in a mythological world of wonders? No. It is not a legend of fantastical Gods or Goddesses. This is the story of a _survivor_. The tale of a young man that had his soul torn in half, and his constant battle against his other self.

 

Daniel ‘Danny’ Fenton is a ghost - not the spectral kind that haunt the ashen ruins of civilization. But he might as well be considering everyone thinks he perished during Dan’s first assault on Amity Park.

 

He is a mere whisper in the wind; an invisible force that helps guide the few survivors of the _Dan_ pocalyse.

 

Perhaps the previous description of their relationship was a bit dramatic… But in the apocalypse one must find unique ways to entertain themself, and over exaggerating stories happens to be how Danny fights off boredom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are many phases involved when I write. This is a great example of phase one.


	11. Thunder and Lightning Bring Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A roughdraft of a story that died before it even started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may revisit this idea later.

It is early morning in Gotham, not that one would be able to tell. The fierce thunderstorm bearing down on the city hid all signs of daytime. Water droplets the size of pennies pelted everything in sight. The ground, cars, pedestrians, busy businessman, stray animals- nothing is safe from the raging maelstrom. Lightning and thunder continuously battled for dominance in the ominous clouds looming over the area. Alfred silently cursed the godforsaken storm ravaging the city because, once again, the power has gone out. Part of him was considering setting a chair by the breaker box and waiting out the storm there. After all, this is the eighth time he has had to journey to the storage room containing the breakers.

 

With a creek of his weary bones, the elderly British butler sat up from the barstool he had been resting on.

 

 

While his pride would never allow him to admit it, Alfred knew he was getting too old to take care of Wayne Manor on his own.

 

 

Alfred could hardly imagine braving the harsh downpour to retrieve the mail. Alas, as the Wayne family’s butler such a duty falls onto him. With a sigh, the old butler began the search for a raincoat and umbrella. Once he acquired a black umbrella and a matching raincoat, he began his trek to the garage. On a good day, he would walk all the way to the mailbox and enjoy the fresh air, but on a day like this one, it made the most sense to drive to the mailbox.

 

 

A waterlogged, dingy cardboard box laid in a puddle of water by the manor gate. The contents of the box were surely ruined by now.

 

 

It seems the sender of the package had the foresight to protect the items against potential water damage.

 

After the nightmare of getting through the obscene amount of packing paper, bubble wrap, and et cetera, Alfred finally had the contents of the box laid out on the kitchen counter. A stack of letters colored with a yellow that only appears on aged paper, small ornate jewelry box, worn tiger stuffed animal and photo album are neatly separated.

 

 

“Why would someone send these items to Master Bruce?”

 

 

His keen eyes spotted an oddity hidden under the aged letters.

 

 

Amongst the discolored letters was a pristine white envelope with fine, neat handwriting adorning the front.

 

——

 

Dear Bruce,

 

 

I have no idea if this letter will ever reach you - if I will ever have the courage to send this letter to you. Regardless, I must get this off my chest. Days after that night of passion, I realized I was pregnant with my - your - son. His name is William Batson, or Billy for short. As a billionaire, you probably hear this kind of thing a lot and I do not care if you believe me. All I want is for my child to live a safe and happy life, and that is not something I believe he can have with you.

 

Bruce, you are a dangerous man living in an even more dangerous city. I know that deep down you yearn for a family to spend the rest of your life with, but Billy can not be apart of that family. You are too determined to complete whatever mission you set out upon to make time for a family, let alone raising a child. All I ask is that you say far, far away from Billy.

 

 

Sincerely,

Marilyn Batson

——

 

Alfred is stunned, to say the least, and couldn’t help but find the irony in William’s last name. Batson _. Bat son_.

 

 

The decorative, wooden jewelry box contained a photograph of a baby that looked shockingly similar to Bruce and a few baby teeth.

 

 

Alfred turned his attention toward the photo album. The light blue cover is worn and falling apart. Similarly to the jewelry box, the album is filled with pictures of the raven-haired child. He skimmed through the pictures watching the boy grow up, but the butler found it rather worrisome that the pictures abruptly stopped once the child reached five years old. Thus, leaving him with many troublesome questions. _Why did the pictures stop? What happened to him? Did he die? How old would William be right now? …Is he truly Bruce’s son?_ Whatever the answers may be, Alfred had no doubt Bruce would stop at nothing to find them.

 

——

 

Somewhere untouchable by mere mortals lied an old man- The great wizard: Shazam.

 

“You’ll thank me for this later, Billy.”


	12. Talon of the Forest (Incomplete Series)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monsters, magic, sadness, and unfinished bits and pieces of a very odd story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A series I thought about writing but ended up abandoning in order to work on more important things...

_**Fangs of a Wolf** _

 

* * *

**Prologue**

 

Gotham City was by far the least monster friendly city in the land- mythical or criminal, it did not matter to them. As long as the accused fit the description, they were burned at the stake like a common witch. Places like Star City, Metropolis, and Central City were different. They were more open to magical beings, more welcoming to their kind. John Grayson was a foolish man. He knew these facts, yet allowed his family to perform in a wretched city of darkness, judgment, and spite. Warnings went ignored. Signs of danger remained unnoticed. Omens carried by the east wind were brushed aside. His blatant disregard of those mystical portents caused this disaster- caused his son to become an orphan.

John fell - fell and fell - desperately attempting to grasp his wife's, Mary's, hand. But even if he did reach her, there was nothing he could do to slow their descent. Horrified shrieks echoed in his ears. The sound of his son's cries. The terrified noises emanating from his fellow performers and friends. It made his heart ache more than the arrow piercing his chest. Especially when he realized Dick's hand was stretched towards them, anguish etched into his young features. A hunter could tear out his heart and soul and John would survive... His son's expression killed him. Dick was never supposed to wear such a look. **Never**.

The ground approached in the blink of an eye, promising great pain upon impact. And great pain it was. Fire shot through his veins, his bones shattered and crunched like hard candy, his heart burned as if a roaring flame was trying to devour it. He released an animalistic howl of agony and grief. Not because of his injuries; Not because the spectators and his friends - more like family - were fleeing the area; Not because people were attempting to pull Dick down from his perch and away from the gruesome scene. No, he wailed because his wife, his soulmate, his love, lied dead next to his own broken, twisted body. John gasped and choked down a sob, thick black blood trickled down the corners of his lips.

Movement soon caught his attention. Tearing his gaze away from Mary's corpse, he saw his son. And his family's attacker. Anyone with the smallest inkling of Hunters was long gone. But his boy... His brave, kind, foolish son stayed behind. Rage overtook his sorrow as he watched the man - The Witch Hunter - take aim at his son.

The most dreaded weapon lied in the hunter's hand. An enchanted crossbow... The favorite weapon of Witch Hunters. A special device created specifically for shooting down the feathered beasts of the night- John certainly counted as one of those beasts. He could survive a few arrows, but Dick was weak. A rare half-breed. The boy wouldn't be able to sustain a single shot. Not if he wanted to live. Thankfully, he and Mary raised the boy to have enough common sense to know when to run.

_Run, Dick. Run and never turn back_ , John internally pleaded.

Their child was hesitant- feared leaving his mother and father behind, but his fear for the hunter was stronger. Blinking tears from his eyes, Dick turned and ran. He ran as far as his little legs could take him. The boy fled straight into Gotham's most feared woods. Most parents would be terrified of such a prospect. John, on the other hand, worried about his boy's fate in the hands of the Witch Hunter more than the claws - or talons - of monsters. Besides, he knew his son would be safe there.

John's grandfather - William, a monster of the night and a true owl - dwelled in those very trees. The archaic avian was anything but normal, sometimes manipulative and cruel, however, John had faith he would keep his word. Faith that perhaps William would honor his word and protect Dick from the harsh reality of the world they live in. Either way, Dick was bound to find William amongst the trees. Or more accurately, William would find Dick.

In any case, John had far more pressing worries. Namely, the crossbow pointed at his son's fleeing form. A single thought surged to the forefront of his mind. Dick, my son, I will protect you... for as long as I can. John shifted his broken, mending limbs and pushed his mangled body off the ground. Viscous dark blood poured from his wounds; His eyes shift from their natural icy blue to a sharp, electric yellow. He pulled back his lips, revealing pointed - almost vampiric or lupine - teeth, and freed an owlish screech. The one that had been building up in the back of his throat ever since he laid eyes on the hunter.

With wide eyes, said hunter jolted and swerved around, completely forgetting about the boy thrusting his body through the brush of Gotham's deadly forest. And what he saw was far, far from expected. His targets were supposed to be human, but that was clearly not the case. The mangled, healing corpse of John Grayson clawed at the ground, dragging himself closer. And closer. Black leaked from his bent appendages and arrowed chest, dyeing the earth beneath him a sickly color. His impaled target's eyes were filled with rage and a promise. A promise of a long, painful death. The Witch Hunter - a phony with a crossbow and too much confidence - panicked and shot. He fired bolt after bolt until the legendary monster before him stopped moving.

At that point, Tony Zucco knew he fucked up. Because Talons have flocks. And he just killed one, which means he would be hunted and killed by that parliament of demented owl creatures. 

* * *

**Chapter One**

Deep in a lush oak forest, hidden away from the brilliant light of the full moon, was a small boy: Richard 'Dick' Grayson. His body slumped against a large oak tree, knees pulled up to his chest, and face buried in his calloused hands. Leaves and twigs clung to his raven black hair and clothes. Dick's clothes were by no means fancy or expensive - simply a tan pair of pants and a black tunic. The only bit of color on his outfit came from the beautiful blue handkerchief loosely tucked away in a pocket. In a corner of the fabric, sparkling silver thread formed his initials. It was not the most glamorous thing in the world, but it was a very special gift from his mother. A gift he would treasure forever.

Small hiccups and sniffles, along with the melodic tunes of nocturnal birds, filled the chilly night air. Stray tears ran down his face, dripping down onto the grass below him. The cause of his sorrow was undoubtedly the murder of his parents, John and Mary Grayson. Dick wanted nothing more than for everything to be a terrible nightmare, however, he knew this wasn't a dream he could wake up from. That his parents were truly dead - hopefully safe in heaven.

To think things could go wrong so quickly...

Far beyond the twisting forest paths and massive trees was Gotham, a chaotic city full of many misguided mystical monsters. Vampires, werewolves, pixies, goblins, fairies, and almost any magical creature imaginable dwelled in the city. Haunting and lurking in the deepest, darkest corners of the city. Preparing for their next attack on the human citizens.

Mere hours ago, Dick had been happily performing daring tricks with his family in that very city. Every member of their caravan performed a special stunt to make a little money in the towns/cities they pass through. His family would carry out grand acts of bravery - or stupidity, according to certain people - by placing their lives in the hands of fate and doing what no human has ever dared. The Graysons would fly. Not in the sense that they sprout wings or hover above the ground. No, their flying was far different. They flipped through the air, swinging from ropes and tree branches to produce the illusion of flight.

His family - his caravan - has visited Gotham for years without any incidents. Dick would be lying if he said nothing like this has happened in other places before. Sometimes people would chase his caravan out of towns and cities in fear that they were supernatural creatures. To a certain degree, Dick could understand where the angry citizens were coming from. A lot of the people in the caravan, himself included, complete very strange and unusual feats. Things that would make a person question if they were human. Samson's feats of strength left people in awe, and most men feeling a sense of jealousy. The absurdly strong male could lift three fully grown oxen with one hand! Monster enthusiasts often asked if he was an ogre or draugr.

Then there was Eric, a man that could breathe fire like a ferocious dragon. While Dick secretly thought Eric was a dragon, he knew the odd fire breathing man would never hurt a fly... Okay, that was a lie. Eric would kill bugs every once and a while, but he would never lay a hand on another person. Unless that person hurt a member of the caravan. And there was Wilhelm, a renowned tamer of beasts. No animal was a match for him. Lions, tigers, bears, wolves- he could easily handle all of them. He even kept two tigers as pets. People believed he was a druid or warlock because of that.

But none of them had encountered someone out to kill them. Hell, no one in his caravan has ever been murdered before. His parents were the first, and many more deaths would likely follow.

For years all of these strange people have been like family to Dick, but now all of that was gone. As soon as his parents hit the ground with a resounding thud, panic flooded his mind. He wanted to stay- wanted to see if his parents survived. However, that did not happen. His parents' killer walked forward and aimed their peculiar bow at him, so - like a coward - Dick ran. He ran as fast and as far away as he could, wanting to put a great amount of distance between him and his parents' murderer; The great demonic shriek that followed his escape only urged him to move faster.

Dick knew murders were the work of the strange man who harassed Mr. Haly, the caravan's leader, earlier that morning. That man sent a Witch Hunter after his family. And no one, not even your worst enemies, would set a witch hunter on you. Everyone knew how vicious and merciless they could be. Not even a child could escape a witch hunter's wrath. Thus why Dick fled the city. Silently praying to the Gods that he would lose the hunter in the vast woods. Thankfully, his prayer was answered because now he was alone... Lost in the deep dark forest. At night.

The thought only made him cry harder as he curled up further. _Why did I have to be so foolish?! I should have gone back to the caravan!_ Owls screeched from their roosts located high in the oak trees. A series of whimpers escaped the boy's throat in response. And now I am paying the price for my stupidity. The sudden chill of night finally registered, causing him to shiver. _I am going to die out here, aren't I?_ Dick shook his head furiously and used one hand to wipe away his tears. _No, think positively. The witch hunter won't find me out here, and it's not raining._

A large crackle of lightning resounded throughout the forest as a freezing downpour began to pelt the earth. "Of course..." Dick whimpered. Despite the shelter provided by the treetops, cold water soon began to leak through and soak his clothes.

_Worst birthday ever._ He stared up at the dark clouded sky and huddled against the tree in a feeble attempt to preserve some body heat. Any hope of survival Dick once had was thoroughly crushed. Little did he know his salvation was creeping through the forest searching for him. Salvation that happened to have pitch black fur, four sets of lethally sharp claws, and two rows of pearly white fangs. A beast that took the form of a wolf during the hours of moonlight, yet chose to bear a unique name not associated with his kind. Bat: The protector of Gotham was tearing the forest apart looking for him.

* * *

_**Scraps and Et Cetera** _

 

The fabled Bat of Gotham lurked in the forest's shadows. Under normal circumstances, he would never set foot - or paw - in the deadly maze of trees.

However, the current situation demanded it.

His bipedal wolf form

No place in the woods was remotely safe. Dastardly beings, bandits and monsters alike, hid around every tree and in every bush. Fae shifted and morphed paths to confuse travelers; Wisps shimmered and shined to entice easily manipulatable human, leading the unfortunate victims to their death. Hoards of mercenaries lined the shadows of the forest's one road ready to raid any wagon that past.

Covens

Worst of all, immortal creatures clothed in black and gold stalk the sky.

Wooden masks craved to resemble an owl's head and colored a hue blacker than the darkest shadow cover their faces. The absence of color highlighted their unnerving, piercing yellow eyes.

Knives forged from the strongest steel hang off dragon-hide straps.

In depths of the night, they soar on pitch-black wings, snatching up weak or unfortunate prey.

Humans. Deer. Rabbits. Vampires. Werewolves. Ogres. Dragons. There is no end to the list of creatures they hunt.

These murderous monsters called themselves 'Talons'.

Bat has no idea when they made Gotham's forests their home... But, according to legends, Talons have lurked in the darkest crevasses of the city for thousands of years.

He knew from the moment Gotham's shady streets and alleyways filled with light that Morta (Roman Goddess of Death) would soon pay his city a visit. One despicable celestial entity was responsible for chasing away the shadows. The brilliant flame dancing amongst the stars - the sun. It is a curse upon the sky of Gotham. An omen of misery and misfortune. The only family he had ever known... His parents died on a bright sunny day. Shot dead with a crossbow by some rouge witch hunter. Thus, leaving Bruce with nothing but feelings of hatred for the blazing fireball, and an extreme distaste for crossbows.

**\-------**

 

Bruce stood in his office and scowled at the sky as if it

* * *

had offended him. In a way it had. It is an oddly sunny morning in Gotham. In a city where the sun rarely shone, it is undoubtedly an omen. An omen of what exactly? He has no clue. All he knows is that whenever a major change takes place in his life it is always on a sunny day. On the day his parents died there was no cloud in sight. On the day he became Batman the Gotham was the brightest it had been in years. Based on the statistics, Bruce has a fifty percent chance today's event will be good or bad.

——

With tears streaming down his face, Dick shouted, "I hate you!" The fury filled words echo throughout the dark forest- spooking sleeping birds, chasing away nocturnal animals.

——

A few days later, after a firm scolding from Alfred, Bruce found himself trekking back to the clearing he left Dick at during a moment of stupidity. Why on earth had he let his temper get the better of him? Dick is just an innocent child. The raven-haired boy couldn't have had any idea his actions would cause such a catastrophe.

He could still see Dick holding his hand against the wound Bruce had unintentionally inflicted. The look of sheer betrayal, hatred, and agony clouding his normally happy sparkly blue eyes as angry tears streaming down his flushed face. Most of all, Bruce couldn't forget the sound of Dick's voice when he screamed 'I hate you!'. In that moment, he truly believed his son hated him. Part of him still does. After all, the words continued to haunt him, constantly echoing in the back of his mind to remind him of how badly he fucked up.

He realized with a heavy heart that his son might not even be waiting there alive. All the other werewolves in the village teach their children how to hunt and defend themselves, but Bruce never taught Dick any of those skills. Instead of being a responsible father, he wasted his time handling all the greedy penny-pinchers attempting to bring Gotham to financial ruin, and fighting off spiteful mystical creatures who loathe the humans that dwell in the city. Thus, leaving his son defenseless against the beasts that lurk in the dark of the night- leaving his son unable to forage for food or properly search for water.

The only thing that remained was a necklace, and, of course, it was not just any necklace. Discarded on the ground is the one gift he gave Dick briefly after taking him, a necklace of Bruce's very own fangs.

Hanging on a thin leather rope were two canine teeth from a large wolf.

In many fights, Bruce often lost a fang or two. They always grew back due to his lycanthropy.

His son's scent was gone, like he wasn't even in this exact spot three days ago. Like he was whisked away by a will-o'-the-wisp, never to be seen again.

* * *

_**Trials of A Fledgling** _

 

_Summary: During a thunderstorm, Dick recounts the events that took place during his time with the Court._

**_\------------_ **

The sound of lightning clashing in the darkened sky echoed throughout Dick's treehouse.

**————**  
**Day One**

"So you have returned to us at last, Gray Son."

"I- uh, yes."

"From now on you will be training under your great grandfather, William Cobb."

**\-----------**

  
"What is the

"Today we gather here to pray to Esvīr in hopes that he will bless our lost child with the power of a beast.

may bestow the wings of an owl

  
The cup is hot to the touch. Dick could hardly imagine willingly drinking the scalding liquid, but, somehow, managed to convince himself to chug the dark metallic substance.

His body felt as though it was lit flame.

Burning heat coursed through his veins, like millions of tiny fire ants nipping and biting at his delicate insides.

* * *

_**Wings of an Owl** _

Dick had been flying for days on end without taking a single moment to rest.

  
To this day, he could vividly recall the events that took place here all those years ago.

  
_In The Past_

"A poor little robin- lost, abandoned, kicked out of his nest."

"W-who's th-there?"

"Merely a lone owl here to reclaim the Court's missing little chick."

"Wh-what?"

"You were born to be an Owl, a Talon."

"But..."

"The wolf has made it clear you are no longer welcome in his territory, or his previous territory."

"Come with me, I can give you a better life. I can teach you how to fly, Little Owlet. But, first, you must throw away the past and commit yourself to your real family."

"How do I do that?"

"Rid yourself of the wolf's mark. His charm. His accursed scent."

"I-I don't know if I can."

"You want to keep it? After he abandoned you in the cold, unforgiving forest to fend for yourself. You did say you hate him, did you not?"

"Yes, I did..."

"Then throw away your past with that cruel beast. Toss it to the ground and never look back."

_Back to the Present_

 

Thankfully, this cursed location - that is only good for trudging up bad memories - is merely a minor inconvenience on his path to his true destination.

The necklace he abandoned here, just like how Bruce abandoned him, is long gone. Presumably carried away by a curious creature or item obsessed bird. Perhaps washed away by the harsh rain of the spring.

As for his flock, it was in his best interest to leave them behind as well.

Sure, his life there wasn't that bad. He was respected, the leader of the Talons, the Court's prophesied Gray Son. Yet, somehow he didn't feel alive there. He was not sure he was even alive anymore.


	13. Roaring Rains (Incomplete)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rough draft for a one-shot I had planned on writing.

Out of all the Robins, Tim has the best memory. He remembers everything. Crime scene details, the birthdays and preferences of all his associates, even every insignificant aspect of his lonesome childhood. And his grudges - while they may be forgiven, they are never truly forgotten - were burned into the back of his mind. Squirming and writhing, constantly replaying all his worst back-stabbings. Dick's betrayal. Damian's amaranthine (unending) quest to end him. Jason's murder attempts. Bru- Tim has been hurt by a lot of people. Almost too many to count.

However, despite the many horrors his subconscious forces him to relive, the ability does have its uses. The power to remind Tim of a lifelong summons. His first memory of this call dated way back, back when he was no more than a toddler. In his young impressionable mind, a force - not a person, human, alien or temporal beast - called to him. It could only be described as something. Something powerful. Something fierce. Something untamable and utterly uncontrollable- Thunder and lightning clash above, deep grey clouds roll across Gotham, rain pelts its crime-ridden streets. The raging storm. It calls to him, beaconing him to join the maelstrom.

When Tim was younger, he might have done so. Might run outside and scream along with the howling winds, roaring thunder, and crashes of lightning. Might don his costume as an excuse to fly in the storm.

But no matter how hard he tries to forget it, the words of a magician will always haunt him.

"Those colors... Those feathers... They're all wrong. They're not _electric_. They are the mark of a docile, mortal bird. Do you have no pride? You are a Thunderbird, aren't you?"


	14. Last Strike (Short)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A burning garbage fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had greater plans for this... but I changed my mind.

Cold.

                                                                                         ~~Unloved.~~

Dead.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ~~Abandoned.~~

Empty.  
  


How could Damian feel anything else? The jury has already spoken. The judge has already condemned him to a life of sorrow. How could they not? His body displayed all the evidence they needed.

Blood. The deep crimson liquid coated his hands, framing him for a crime he did not commit. Dripping and dropping down onto the concrete rooftop beneath him. Seeping and soaking into the remnants of his - 'How could you, Damian?! I thought you were passed this; That you were better this! I should have never made you Robin.' Grayson screeched, tearing the gold 'R' of his chest and tossing it aside. - _the_ , the Robin uniform. He is not Robin anymore. He is no hero. Not in the eyes of his family.

Tears glistened in his eyes and sobs threatened to escape his throat, but Damian trapped the appending emotional outburst. He refused to give them the satisfaction of emotionally compromising him. Weaknesses like 'emotions' and 'feelings' are exactly why he is in this situation. Care and worry caused him to attempt to aid Drake. Hope and desire made him strive to make Grayson and Wayne proud of him... Even if it never worked.

What could he do to make his 'family' ~~love~~ \- believe him? Damian tried and tried and tried! But his efforts never amounted to anything in their eyes. Nothing he did could ever convince them he ~~is~~ \- was good. Why does he even bother trying to convince them of something they won't believe? Damian isn't their hero.

He is their monster.

Perhaps it is about time he embraces that notion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays!


	15. Nowhere (Ideas)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two forsaken ideas.

**Jokes and Secrets**

 

**Summary:** Timothy 'Tim' Jackson Drake, just like every member of his family, has a secret. A dangerous secret. He is far from what people would consider normal. If people knew what Tim is truly like, he would without a doubt be labeled a sociopath. Luckily for him, he is a master actor and has the skills required to hide his true nature.

Deception: A skill he has honed since birth- crucial to his survival in an abandoned, broken home. After all, it is easier to trick people who do not know anything about you. And the same rule applies to the Wayne family. Despite being trained detectives, not even they can see through Tim's mask.

Murder: An action he secretly finds great pleasure in committing (as long as the victim deserves the death sentence) but refrains from carrying out due to his family's ban on the crime.

Unfortunately, the Joker seems to have a not-so-enjoyable game planned for the Batfamily, and no one is looking forward to playing. Can Tim keep up the facade, or will he crack under the pressure?

 

* * *

**Lost Hero**

  
  


**Summary:**  Everyone knows ghosts do not exist- at least, the alternate dimensional kind of ghosts do not exist. Neither in the eyes of the public nor the most top-secret organizations. They are only real for one person: Daniel Fenton, a seemingly insane middle-aged man who has no family, friends or allies. A man who survived the eradication of his entire hometown. Which mysteriously disappeared without a trace, including all its' inhabitants.

For years, he has been ridiculed and labeled as mentally ill; For years, he has hidden from the eyes of society. However, humanity soon faces a threat only he is knowledgeable about. What is that threat? That undefeatable foe not even the Justice League can vanquish? A being from the very race people mocked him for believing. A ghost.

The Justice League, who are now tasked with defeating an impossible adversary, seek out what the world once thought to be an insane man. A man of questionable mental health that might be the key needed to triumph against this new danger.


End file.
